


Further Demonic Entanglement

by MissOverlord



Category: Puyo Puyo (Video Games)
Genre: Anxiety, Biting, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fear, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Romance, Self-Acceptance, Supportive Partners
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-24 16:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 32,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21341221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissOverlord/pseuds/MissOverlord
Summary: The unanticipated happens and concealed feelings are forced into the open! Confessions by moonlight, unexpected mentors and all the weirdness that comes with being close to a half-demon. Klug's life just got a whole lot crazier...
Relationships: Klug/Sig (Puyo Puyo)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 86





	1. Rude Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> Followup to 'Of Demonic Entanglement' set roughly one year later. Yes, it takes those idiots a full YEAR to get to this point! FYI, it's saucier than its predecessor, and has some fairly minor spoilers for events that haven't yet been covered.
> 
> This is set roughly three to four years after the events of Fever 2, assumes that most of the games are canon and the characterization tries to be closer to the Japanese stuff. This is especially obvious with Sig, whose manner of speaking is... different.
> 
> I'm not an accomplished author and this was intended as a basis for an illustrated thing eventually, but things got super out of hand! Please forgive poor tagging because fics are not a thing I have done.
> 
> Suggestions are welcome and I apologize in advance for some really, really odd word choices. Somnolist isn't in the dictionary, but...

_ Thud. _

** _Thud._ **

The sporadic, unusual sound dragged Klug's consciousness out of the cozy warmth of sleep he _ had _ been enjoying prior t-

_ Thud. _

_ Ugh_. Stiff with torpor, his muscles refused to obey, at least not immediately. All that he was capable of for the moment was staring blindly into the darkness and listening to the odd sound, trying to identify i-

_ Thud. _

Something outside, that much his sleep-addled mind could process. Not that loud, really, but the irregular-yet-unending impacts had probably been why his brain had bothered waking him up. A loose shutter or someth-

** _Thud._ **

He tested his arm. Clumsy, but enough fine motor skills to scrabble for his glasses. _ There, got th- _

_ Thud-d. _

_ Nocte cometes, _ whatever it was, it was _ irritating _ at the very least. At least he chose to sleep in pajamas so he didn't need enough coordination to get dressed before investigati-

_ Thud_.

The window. It seemed louder from that direction. He slowly shambled over to the second story window and let his eyes adjust to the light of a rather striking full moon, careful not to disturb the blooming blue moon-sunflower that rested on the sill. It wasn't the original he'd been given as a gift but grown from the seeds it left at the season's end. The petals almost seemed to glo-

** _Thud._  
**

... Maybe, no, it was _ definitely _ a good idea to relocate the plant to the safety of the desk. That done, all that was left was to slide up the window pane an-

_ Thud. _

Though he knew another impact was likely, it was _ still _ startling when an object stuck the wall not inches from his exposed head. It had been smallish, tumbling harmlessly down the brickwork, leaving a scent of... apples?

At least the shelling seemed to have stopped. Still wary of being struck in the face, he cautiously peered over the sill, trying to discern from where the flying fruit had originated. A slight movement caught his eye, a cowled figure standing in the grass below. Still half-asleep, he wondered when Death had taken to pelting homes with produce...

Apparently, whoever or _ whatever _ it was noticed him, giving the mage a stiff wave and taking down the hood. _ Oh. _ He'd recognize Sig's glowing crimson eye anywhere, but there was a problem. The one beside it... in the darkness he shouldn't have been able to make it out. Defiantly, it shined a brilliant sky blue, lit from within just like its reddish neighbor.

Weird, yes, and something he'd never seen before, but that alone wasn't reason enough to hurl apples near his window. Did... did it seem darker around his friend than it should've been, as though something was snuffing out the moonlight if it came too close? A trick of the eyes, perhaps, a side-effect of his somnolence not yet worn off.

Possible, perhaps, until he noticed an odd feeling, a mild static-y sensation like one would have prior to a lightning strike that was much too close. Klug wasn't sure why but it made him incredibly uneasy, a knot of dread starting to form in the pit of his stomach.

Trying not to yell or draw attention, he half-spoke, half-hissed from his vantage in the window, "stay there, okay?" It was enough, judging from what seemed to be a nod before Sig pulled the cowl back up.

What... what what _ what _was going on? He still had to take his time descending the carpeted staircase, fearful of a mis-step and potentially breaking his own neck. This brought him briefly within speaking range of his near-constant companion, a disembodied red soul tethered to an ancient-looking tome. It, too, seemed agitated.

"HEY!" Its voice was only in his head but it certainly_ felt_ loud enough as it demanded, "where're you GOING in such a hurry?! There's this weird power an-"

"Later, later," The mage mumbled, quickly slipping on a pair of shoes before exiting, door slamming behind him.

Leaving the entity alone in the kitchen, abandoned on the table, it shook its head in impotent lamentation, "geez, kid's gettin' REALLY rude these days..."

Outside, the early fall air was pleasantly mild, fortunate since the green-eyed academic had failed to shrug on a jacket. It simply slipped his mind, more focused on-

"_ Sig, _ what's..." Klug didn't finish, trying to make sense of what he saw. The darkness hadn't been a trick of the eyes, gathering and flowing like a blackish mist where the makeshift cloak ended. The pair of luminescent eyes stared into the mage's, utterly terrified and begging, _ pleading _ for help. All the while, the weird electrical sensation trickled down his spine, making his hairs stand on end.

_ Fear_. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like, seized by an odd tension and unsure of whether to flee or confront the source. _ Flight. _ That seemed to make the most sense. Getting away from _ here,_ going somewhere else, someplace _ safer_...

Sig started to sniffle, his panic starting to bubble to the surface as Klug's hand closed around the wrist of his right hand, unexpectedly pulling him into a run. Confused, he stumbled but caught himself, letting the celestial mage lead him, neither knowing or caring _ where _ he was being drug off to. As long as his friend remained with him, the fear and uncertainty were that much less soul-crushing. Alone... it just wasn't... _ he couldn't... _

_ Stars, _ was it really _ that _ far?! Klug's body ached, not used to this kind of exertion. Sprinting, sure, but distance running wasn't within his wheelhouse. At least Sig seemed to be keeping up, though he had some difficulty holding onto his peer's wrist, like the guy was wearing gloves or something. Still, he had to focus on finding his way, unused to traveling in the night-time hours.

The man-made structures became farther and fewer between the further they went along the road, homes replaced by grassy lots and gradually disappearing altogether, becoming an expansive field which flanked either side of the narrowing path. Finally, upon reaching the furthest border of the tree line, the pair came to a stop.

Here, at least, they didn't have to worry about outside interference. Whatever was wrong, they could deal with it at their own pace. And, if the worst should happen... well...

Struggling to force air back into his protesting lungs, the bibliophile doubled over as he panted for breath, dots that looked like twinkling stars spreading from the periphery of his vision. Still, between gasps, he attempted to reassure his companion and huffed, "I'm... fine... need a... minute..."

"U-um, o... okay." The cloaked figure seemed to be struggling for breath, too, but his reasons were entirely different. The dark fabric couldn't conceal the nervous shuddering every time he exhaled, trying so, _so_ hard to allow his friend the necessary time to recover. He wanted to offer the wheezing mage a hand, an offer of support, but held back. He was afraid. _ Scared_.

The pinpricks of light that threatened to rob Klug of his eyesight slowly subsided as his breathing smoothed, gradually becoming less of a battle. Feeling at least _ slightly _ better, he stood upon wobbly legs, trying to exude much more confidence than he had at present.

“S-so, Sig,” the scholar inquired as gently as he could manage, brushing strands of chestnut hair out of his concerned green eyes, trying to comprehend exactly what had happened to his friend and classmate.

It would be easier to show than try to choke out the words.


	2. Confessions by Moonlight

Things had seemed to be going so well. Sure, there was no progress in an all-out remedy since it seemed to be a natural occurrence, but the crimson hadn't been spreading to any meaningful degree. But now... this...

With trembling hands- no, trembling _ claws, _ Sig undid the makeshift cloak and let it flutter to the ground. In the moonlight, his outline was wreathed in an animate fire-like mist, flowing down and away in choppy midnight-blue haze around his feet. It coalesced in places, forming whorls around his ankles and shoulders that resembled foxfire. Some of the shadowy substance also seemed to gather behind his back, giving the impression of jagged, spectral wings. The same unnatural color tinged almost every visible part of the youth, clothes and all. Only his face and a few stripes on his jacket seemed to retain _ some _ semblance of normality, though the skin had an abnormal ashy pallor. The irises of both eyes seemed to glow, backlit by some unseen and unknown source.

Eyes so wide and so, _ so _ terrified, the corners brimming with tears. Tears, which caught and refracted the strange illumination, appearing to sparkle like tiny jewels or stars. Stars, which started to fall.

Klug was struck dumb, mouth moving soundlessly with thoughts he couldn't begin to articulate. He floundered, trying to grasp for something, _ anything _ to say that might help in some small way.

He failed.

He failed, and Sig started to cry in earnest.

It _ hurt_. It hurt him more than any pain he'd experienced in his life.

It had to stop. He _ had _ to make it stop.

"S-scared. I'm scared. D-don't know what to do." Every breath his classmate took was shallow, harried.

_ He's using 'I''_. That was _ never _ a good sign.

_ Please stop, _his mind screeched as he took a step forward. His body felt numb but it obeyed, little by little. He timidly reached out, fingers extending to brush one of his friend's sleeves.

"How?.." Klug's mouth felt dry, his voice cracking even with that one small utterance.

Sig flinched backwards as if struck, evading the clumsy attempt to touch him as his eyes widened. Pleadingly, he stammered, "d-don't. D-don't know. Please, d-don't. I don't want to h-hurt you."

Klug froze in place, unsure of what to do, a deep feeling of helplessness digging into the core of his being. What should he do? What _ could _ he do?

Fighting the anxiety that threatened to paralyze both mind and body, the scholar managed, "I... I know, Sig. I know you won't. Please, trust me." He offered an outstretched hand, all of his willpower dedicated to keep it from shaking.

Terrified eyes darting between the offered palm and his friend's pained expression, Sig shook his head, making the elongated hair-tenne sway in the night air. "Can't. Don't trust... myself. Feels strange. _ I _feel strange."

_ Strange? _ It wasn't much to go on. Cautiously, the young mage asked, "does... does it hurt?"

Another shake of the head. "N-no. Worried, it... it feels _ good_. Scared, I don't want this. I don't..." Two demonic-looking hands covered his sobbing face as he whimpered, "I don't want to _ like _ this, but... can't help it."

This raw energy, one could feel it, almost _ see _it permeating the air, exerting an odd kind of pressure. It just kept building moment to moment. It was so much, too much.

_ That's why he's so scared, he's afraid of losing control, _ Klug swallowed, struggling to appear calm for Sig's sake. _He's afraid of losing himself. _

"M-maybe, if we puyo battled," green eyes reflecting his concern as he spoke, "maybe that would burn some of this off. Maybe it would help?"

Release some pressure, so to speak. It made sense in theory.

"Umm, m-maybe. Have to try something, first." Timidly, the half-soul tried summoning a simple spell, gathering shining blue sparks in his palms. The cyan specks shimmered in the darkness and formed a perfect orb.

Perfect, that is, until it burst unexpectedly, tiny comets streaking off wildly into the night sky.

With a startled yelp, Sig backpedaled - or at least, he tried to, stumbling and falling backwards into the grass. Hard. He wheezed, half-choking on a sob as he lay there, eyes hidden behind a tattered sleeved arm, the edges of the fabric smouldering where errant sparks had landed.

"SIG! Oh, oh _ stars _ I'm sorry," he couldn't contain the panic anymore as he babbled hysterically next to his fallen companion, "Sig, are you hurt?! I didn't know, I _ swear _ I didn't know that woul-"

"L-leave! Go, j-just go," the teary-eyed bug catcher rolled onto his side, curling up into as tight a ball as he could manage. The blackish fog gathered, threatening to swallow him up as he murmured, "don't want to hurt you. Don't want to hurt anyone..."

"Sig..."

"Go!" He snapped, eyes wild and claws digging into his own palms as he involuntarily shivered, "please... just go. _ Please._"

Klug's heart broke. He couldn't stand it anymore. Tears rolled down his face, his uncombed bangs sticking to the wetted surface of his skin. "I-I can't. I can't leave you here. I won't."

"Please," Sig begged, his breath coming in raw, ragged gasps, "go home. Forget me."

_ Forget? _ What was he intending to...?

Without hesitating, the mage dragged his classmate's body toward himself, arms wrapping around his chest and pulling him as close as humanly possible. He refused to let go, even as midnight-blue 'flame' lapped at his skin.

Frantic, Sig tried to pry the arms holding him loose, terrified for his friend's safety, that he'd be hurt or worse. Desperately, he pleaded, "l-let go, Klug please I don't want t-"

"No! I said I wouldn't leave and I won't!" Stubbornly, the mage just held on tighter. "It'll be fine, just trust me!"

The ominous-looking mist... kind of tingled. It didn't hurt, didn't burn, instead crackling like static electricity. Strange, but it didn't seem dangerous. 

"L-let go..."

"It's okay, Sig. Listen, I'm fine," he rested his head on Sig's shoulder, the heatless foxfire harmlessly caressing his cheek, "you don't need to be afraid."

"You're... okay?" Sig's voice quavered with disbelief, struggling to get the words out through harried, irregular exhalations. The world seemed to be going gray at the edges as he sagged, dead weight pressing into his friend.

"I'm still talking, aren't I?" It took most of Klug's strength to bear the unexpected burden but he was determined to shoulder it, to lend the support his companion, his _ friend, _ needed. "I'll be right here. Just try to breathe, okay? Slow, deep breaths. It'll be okay."

That was easy enough to _ say_. Be calm, don't worry, stop stressing out over every single thing. The words alone were meaningless. They didn't _ do _ anything. Still, sometimes a small reassurance went a long way, even if it was ultimately hollow.

_ Something _ seemed to help. The bug catcher was still shaky but didn't seem at immediate risk of hyperventilating and passing out anymore. He wriggled a little in Klug's arms, shifting so that his head lay against the other boy's chest. Still anxious, but no longer seized by blind terror.

"S-still scared."

"I know."

"... Look like a monster," he balled up his fists, fresh tears glistening in the dappled moonlight, "_am _ a monster."

"What? What?! Sig," the distaste in the mage's tone was palpable, "don't say that. Honestly, you're many things, but a _ monster? _"

"Then what? Do _ you _ know?" Frustrated, he spat the words out in a rare show of anger, "you _ don't, _do you?"

Really? _ Really? _ Puffing up his chest in defiance of the accusation, Klug hissed, "idiot, it doesn't matter _ what _ the hell you are. Half human, a quarter, it's not important."

Eyes narrowed, Sig seethed through his clenched teeth, "easy for you to say, you're _ normal_. I'm, I'm..." He swallowed, trying to force down the tightness threatening to close up his throat, voice cracking, "I'm not."

"No. No, you're not," he admitted, but quickly continued, "but it still doesn't matter. You're still _ you_, dummy. Sig, look at me."

A grumbled refusal, hiding his face in the fabric of Klug's shirt, "'m not a dummy..."

"Look. At. Me."

"... No."

Seemingly losing his patience, the irritated scholar shoved his stubborn friend away, sending the poor thing sprawling onto his back in the grass. Alarmed, he squeaked as his two luminous eyes went wide.

"Wha..."

Klug grabbed ahold of both the boy's wrists, pinning them to the ground as he climbed on top of him. Sig continued to struggle, heart thudding in his chest as he tried to wriggle free, a look of utter confusion banishing his previous scowl.

"Sig..."

"L-leggo! Stoppit!"

"_Sig_. Look at me."

Panting, head turned to the side, navy-tinted bangs haphazardly framing his ashy face, he reluctantly obeyed and stopped fighting. A single bewildered azure orb looked up as his captor, skew-whiff.

However commanding the voice had been, the face, it was... it looked alarmed. Pained. That just confused Sig even more. Glancing up again, this time with both eyes, he mumbled, "why? Y-you look..."

"Because, I'm scared too, okay? I'm scared for you. You're... well, you're important to me, Sig. I hate seeing you _ feel _ like this. You're so worried about _ what _ you are that you're completely ignoring _ who _ you are. You're," he huffed, scrambling for the right words, "you're special, okay?"

"Klug..."

No, that wasn't right. _ 'Special', _ he groused, _ could you have said _ ** _anything_ ** _ more trite? _ ** _Stars_**_, what the heck are you trying to _ ** _do, _ ** _ make him feel worse?! _ At the moment Klug would've given his right arm for a thesaurus, his left, too. _ Idiot! _

"Klug?.."

If only he'd had more time to think, more time to choose his words, maybe-

"Klug!"

"Hmm? S-sorry, I was just... I'm just not good at this."

"You mean it? T-that you think... think I'm..."

"Tch, m-maybe it wasn't quite the right word."

"Oh," disappointed, he looked off to the side, flexing his still-immobile hands, "'kay."

Wait, what? Why did he sound so downcast? _ Nocte cometes, what did you do now you moron?! _

"N-n-no, Sig, that's not what I meant, please don't-"

"It's fine."

"It's not 'fine'! I'm making you more upset because I'm a complete idiot-"

"Not upset..."

"-Who's too much of a coward to, t-" Mouth snapping shut, Klug cut himself off. _ Too late, _ he berated himself, _ why, _ ** _why _ ** _ didn't you just shut up?! _

_ To... what? _ The curious expression on Sig's face begged for an answer, head cocked to the side.

_ Why does he have to be so damnedably cute? _ Klug gave up, head hanging in defeat. However this went, he'd have to live with it. With a resigned sigh, he spoke again, "too much of a coward to admit that I... I like you, okay?"

"Umm, kinda knew that? I like you, too."

"T-that's... no, I mean, _ like _like. Like, um..." Tripping over his words, his face flushed as his brain locked up.

Still not sure what to make of the mage's stammering, Sig murmured, "_like _like? Love?"

Klug started sweating. He couldn't help himself.

"Hello..? Klug?"

"Fff. F-fine, fine. I-I think so. I didn't want to say anything because it might weird you out and I didn't know if you and Amitie or someone else were a thing or if you even wanted a relationship at all or if you liked guys and even then if you'd like me a-a-and I didn't want to lose you as a friend, is that enough or do you want a signed transcript or something?!" He was breathing way too fast, way too hard, seeing stars even as he squeezed his eyes shut. Dizzy, he backed off, letting Sig free in the process. "I... I think that's everything."

That... that was a lot to take in. Maybe a transcript would've been handy. On the bright side, there hadn't been an immediate rejection.

The half-soul sat up on his haunches, just staring at his woozy star-blind friend. Was he _ serious?  
_

Sig had just one question. "Why?.."

Of course. Of _ course _ it had to be the hard one. Still dazed, he needed some time to compose himself, some time to just breathe. _ Please, please don't screw this up. _ "J-just... I need a minute. Otherwise I might pass out, okay?"

"'Kay." He stayed where he was, waiting patiently with a slightly bewildered expression on his face. ** _Like _ ** _ like?.. why?.. _

The response didn't help. Reading Sig was tricky under most circumstances and struggling to suppress a full blown panic attack wasn't at all conducive. Still, his friend hadn't said 'no, you're awful and don't ever speak to me again' yet. He took it as a potentially good sign.

"W-well, I just really like spending time with you. You're... you're patient even if I'm being irritating. I mean, you even put up with Ayashii's shenanigans. You don't hate anyone and it takes a lot to make you mad. If someone's having problems you'll always try to help..."

"Not being a jerk isn't special."

"H-hey, I'm not done yet," Klug paused to breathe again, "you're... nice to me, even though I don't always deserve it. You never seem too busy to listen if anyone needs to talk. Hell, you take the time to round up migratory butterflies with damaged wings and keep them happy indoors _ all winter_. Nobody else would even consider doing that."

"You helped last year," the bug catcher interjected.

"Yes, well, but if you didn't I wouldn't have. _Stars, _you're just sweet, okay? You," he sighed, rubbing his sleeve nervously, not relishing feeling so vulnerable, "you make me feel like less of a jerk, Sig. I didn't tell you sooner because I'm a coward. I didn't want to creep you out and lose you as a friend. I... I didn't want to make things feel awkward."

"Oh."

"I won't blame you if don't want to be around me anymore. It's... it's okay. I'll still try to help you, if you're comfortable with that. I... I just want you to be happy, whether I'm involved or not. So, now you know," defeatedly, he averted his gaze, "whatever you decide, it's alright. I'll accept it."

"...Even like this? Looking scary?" Sig hugged his knees to his chest, his voice barely audible, "might be stuck like this..."

"You think that changes anything? You're still _ you _ on the inside. Okay, you're not as calm as you usually are, but that's totally understandable. It's a perfectly natural response!"

"Don't believe you." Or, more accurately, _ can't. _

Flabbergasted, the bespectacled one shrilly stammered, "w-what? Why? Why do you think I'd lie after confessing e-everything like that?! Do you have any idea how difficult that was? A-and I still don't even know what you think about it, I'm trying not to freak out about that but the suspense is driving me crazy! S-Sig, please, I... h-how am I supposed to... but you don't..."

"... Maybe everything's lies." Sullenly, the vaguely-demonic-looking entomophile hid his face from view and trembled.

_ What do I do what do I do _ ** _please_ ** _ how do I fix this?! _ Klug gave in to the anxiety and started hyperventilating. It was impossible to mend the situation since he didn't know what he'd broken in the first place. He frantically tried to think of _ something _ but came up empty.

His mind _ snapped.  
_

"Hy... hyah haaah," the celestial mage started giggling drunkenly to himself, "uhya...hya hah~!"

Sig _ cringed, _certain the cackling was directed at him.

"H-hee, don't worry, don't worry!" He gesticulated, oblivious to his confessee's misery as he babbled without taking in a single gasp of air, "you want the truth? Do you? Do you _ really? _ Fine, _ fine! _ I more than kinda like it, okay? I think you're stunning normally but this is... is also incredibly unique and I'm fascinated, just fascinated! You look a-maz-iiing~!"

A-maz-ing? Perplexed, Sig rolled the word around in his head, silently mouthing the syllables. He didn't_ feel _amazing.

"You don't like that? How about striking? _ Spectacular? _ I'm open to suggestions _ other _ than 'scary' since it isn't accurate _ at all_. It's like thinking a planet's hideous just because it has a ring around it, preposterous! That's part of what makes it _ unique! _" His conviction on the subject was unshakeable, and the celestial enthusiast carried on until he simply ran out of air.

The bookworm gradually started breathing again, the self-induced asphyxia wearing off and leaving him closer to his usual nervous state. He groaned miserably, regaining some control over his runaway mouth. On one hand, it was liberating to share his feelings. On the _ other _ hand, he felt completely naked and exposed. He sighed, holding his head in his hands, "_heavens, _I wish... I wish you could see yourself the way I do. Then you might believ-"

Klug was swept up in a black wave of an embrace before he knew what was happening, the overwhelming swiftness and raw power of the thing threatening to crush him alive. "S-Sig," he rasped, "t-too hard!"

"Sorry," the force of nature relented, blue and red eyes reflecting shards of moonlight even as he offered an apologetic smile. So genuine. So _ bright. _

_ Luna splendet, _the sight left the academic speechless. Afraid his silence might be taken the wrong way, he reached out, brushing aside some of the wild bangs that obscured the subject of his admiration. The attention seemed to be welcome, Sig pressing his cheek into the empty palm.

"Everything I said... I meant it. You're okay with it?" He didn't want to misjudge, didn't want to push his friend. "I-it's not like you have to make a decision now, I mean, it's a lot to think about, and you've got other things to deal with right no-"

"_Klug_, it's okay. Stop worrying," came a purred reply, face nuzzled into the mage's palm, "just want to enjoy this."

"O-oh, sure, that's perfectly..." He let his words trail off. _ Stars, he looks so peaceful. _The scholar smiled, using his thumb to softly stroke the face which remained contentedly in his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The description for 'Black Sig' is a little different than what appeared in 20th! It's a mish-mash of that one and what is said to be a scrapped version that was completely dark blue, had little flame whorls and would've been a nightmare to animate. Also he's kinda moody. So, there y'go!


	3. Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiots are bein' cuddly.

Sig still knelt in the cool grass, arms remaining wrapped around his ever-nervous companion. The excessive power was still present but somehow seemed less threatening than it had before. It still crackled, gathering and swirling around his arms and feet, but the knowledge that it hadn't done his friend any harm went a long way to relieve some of the built-up tension that had been plaguing him tonight.

Though Klug was pretty famous for folding under pressure he could be quite tenacious when he wanted to be. That stubborn streak came in handy for his scholastic life and was part of how he remained a top honor student. It was a liability if he ever needed help, but with a little nudging he'd begrudgingly accept it. Irritating at times, but it was simply part of his personality.

That part played a role in keeping the novice dark mage from abandoning him, no matter how many times he had demanded that his friend leave. It was a facet of his classmate that the bug catcher appreciated. Another was the degree of acceptance of Sig's... unique qualities. Apart from Klug and his bestie, Amitie, few acknowledged the bizarre left arm unless he brought it up first, just pretending it didn't exist. At first, he'd thought Klug's curiosity was mostly in the spirit of research, but that hadn't been the case.

"You want to be more than friends?" Blunt as ever, Sig offered a lifeline so his companion didn't have to force the words out himself.

"That's, w-well, I mean," even with the easy out, Klug flushed and mentally tripped over himself, "yes, I wanted to ask you that, after asking if you'd be open to that, then if you'd consider me, an-"

The stuttering mage didn't get a chance to finish his rambling, silenced as a set of lips covered his own. It was brief and deliberately chaste, but it was still a kiss.

"J-just to be clear, you... you're fine with, um, me, I mean, us, as boyfriends?" _Smooth_, Klug's internal monologue piped up again, _ you're _ ** _really_ ** _ great at this. He just kissed you, idiot, what do you _ ** _think_ ** _ that meant?! _

Still, better to ask too many questions than not enough.

With an amused chuckle, Sig touched noses with the stammering person his arms held, "sounds good."

"R-really? You're sure? I mean, springing this on you by surprise, I wasn't sure you..." _ Stop questioning it, _ he chided himself yet again, _ he'll think you're having second thoughts! _

"Kinda not a complete surprise."

"Oh, then th- wait, _ really?!" _ Agitated, he started sweating again. What had he done, what had he _ said _ that betrayed the intentions he'd kept to himself? Ultimately, it didn't matter, but...

It was sheer coincidence, but Sig obliged and answered, "really. Kept coming up with reasons to be together and accepted my invites. Catching bugs isn't _ you_, but you came anyway. Also, um, you kinda talk in your sleep. Lots."

To say Klug was mortified was a gross understatement. The dreams he could remember were mostly mundane affairs, nothing to be worried about. On the bright side, those rarely involved Lemres anymore outside of simple rivalry. Still, sometimes the human unconsciousness went a _ little _ bit overboard. 

"..." Completely. Paralyzed.

"Bunny, you oka-," stopping himself, Sig had the realization that he'd said it out loud. _ Oops. _

"Y-you, I, B-bunny? _ What? _ " The strangled squeak that broke his silence further cemented the utter suitability of the nickname. Face turning bright scarlet, he tried to come to terms with being branded with such a 'cute' moniker. "T-that's... well. I-It's f-fine, I can live with that. Just, please, _ please _ don't use it in public."

Sig beamed, more than_ slightly _pleased with his frie- no, his boyfriend's- reaction to the affectionate appellation. "Gotcha."

A thought occurred to the mage: he didn't have a pet name to give in return. Sig was, well, _ Sig. _ Great, just _ great_, not five minutes into a relationship and he was already experiencing a minor crisis. Why, _ why _ hadn't he had the foresight to prepare one in advance?! Why...

... Why was he so worried? _ He's not going to hate you for that. _ His subconscious was, in this rare instance, oddly benign. _Just be here for him. That's all. _

So, that's what he resolved to do, hugging his companion and taking in the sensation of warmth such closeness offered. He exhaled, gently whispering Sig's name, "you really are special, even if you don't always feel that way."

"You are, too. Kinda funny, though," he gently nudged Klug's cheek with his own, nuzzling into his friend's neck, "thought you might have noticed."

"Noticed... what?" The mage was, understandably, distracted.

"Hints."

"Hints?"

Being booksmart didn't necessarily translate into being observant, especially in social situations. Human interactions were a tricky business, prone to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Those sort of things were just part of life.

Still snuggling, the half-soul flexed his fingers, the nails briefly catching on Klug's shirt. "Mmhmm... the sleepovers, most of all. Thought it was kinda obvious."

The mage... paused. True, if one stayed overnight with the other they'd share the same bed but there wasn't anything suggestive or sexual about it. Sig was on the cuddly side but never tried to get into his pajamas, figuratively or literally. He surmised it was just Sig being Sig, that's all. "You... you don't do that with everyone?"

"Do _ you? _"

"N-no, of course not!" Protesting, Klug's grip on the bug catcher tightened, "I... I just felt safe with you. You started it, anyway."

"Ami did nap on me a few times, on her sofa. Had the flu, and she felt so, so cold..."

The mage smiled, understanding completely, "yeah, you're kind of a living hot compress."

"It's okay?"

"Sig, first of all, she's your best friend. Second, having the flu is awful. Third, it's not like I own you or anything," he spoke matter-of-factly, squeezing his beau a little "I'm okay with that, but even if I wasn't that'd be my problem. It's your warm body."

"Yeah, guess it is. Um, related, but," Sig sounded shy all of a sudden, mumbling, "you... want to see?"

The timidity of the question alarmed Klug a little. Cautiously, he asked, "see what, exactly?"

Backing out of their mutual hug, Sig toyed with the zipper of his slightly singed jacket, an anxious look on his face. Was... was he blushing? That was rare.

_ Ah. _ Of _ course _ the scholar wanted to see, to satisfy his curiosity at the very _ least_, but... 

"I... no. Not right now," he demurred, attempting to take Sig's overlarge hands in his with limited success, "you seem really nervous..."

"N-no, it's fine, umm..." The entomophile looked tense, the plumes on his head appearing to vibrate.

"It's not fine! You look, well," Klug gave his partner's fingers what he hoped seemed like a reassuring squeeze, "you look terrified. I'd love to see, but not like this, okay?"

"... Still wanna do something, though," he mumbled, squirming into the mage's arms.

"We still can, just... something you're more comfortable with." A peck on the cheek, still salty from earlier's tears.

Snuggling into his friend's chest, Sig idly brushed at the shirt's buttons, watching them catch occasionally against his claws. "Mind if this is open?"

"I don't mind, no, if you want to."

He had a remarkable amount of dexterity with his left hand, managing to undo _ most _of the buttons without breaking the threads and pinging them off onto the forest floor. Remaining in his comfy spot, he gingerly brushed fingers against flesh, waiting for a reaction.

It... didn't take very long.

"Pfff... S-Sig... that's," the celestial mage tried to maintain his composure but failed utterly, devolving into increasingly frantic giggling, "I-I can't... breathe..."

"Nah. Still talking, you're fine." Smirking, he splayed his clawed hand, deliberately sweeping it up and down his cackling companion's side.

"Kggh, y-you've... you've got a v-v-vicious streak! G-ghyaahaa haaa!! St-stop, wanna breathe-hee-eve!"

However much fun it was to send Klug into a hysterical paroxysm, he _ was _ asked to stop. He stayed his hand, at least for the time being, and playfully nudged into his gasping beau's neck instead. "Didn't know you were ticklish."

"N-neither... did I," chest heaving, the mage seemed slow to recover. He collapsed backwards into the grass, wheezing, "feels like... I'm gonna die."

Sig was slightly jostled in the process, but didn't seem bothered. Stretching, he rose to his hands and knees, scrutinizing the hard-breathing mass below him. "Doubt it."

"Didn't... ask... y-" He was cut off, forced to breathe through his nose as Sig's mouth covered his own, hot palms sliding into place on his shoulders. The kiss was longer than the first but not by much. His boyfriend wasn't _ trying _ to kill him via oxygen deprivation, usually a good sign. _ Nocte stella, _ those hands were warmer than he'd expected. He'd always had _ something _ insulating himself from the radiant heat before... still, it's not like it was _ burning _ him. "S-Sig..."

"Hmm?" As his smiling head tilted, the long tufts on top swayed.

"Could you... do that again?"

"Could, sure," he shrugged, flexing his fingers, "or go further. Your choice."

Klug licked his own lips, still breathing a little hard as he gazed into the benign-looking eyes that glowed above him. They showed no nervousness, no hesitation. "How... far?"

"Still kissing, just... more. Want to?"

"Y-yes, by all means," he shivered, the points of Sig's nails softly kneading the base of his neck. With a pleased whine, he exclaimed, "mmn, _ Sig_, this feels so nice..."

The feedback was more gratifying than Klug could have known. To have his companion not just tolerate the touch of his intimidating-looking hands, but to actively _ enjoy _ their contact was more than than the somnolist could've hoped for. Even now, with his body like _ this_... Klug made him feel _ normal_.

"Oh, Bunny, _ Klug, _ I... I _ love _ you," he whispered, his voice starting to crack with emotion as he pressed against the mage's frame, repeatedly kissing him with a gentle but firm insistence. The last one, he held, experimentally brushing the tip of his tongue over his sweetheart's lips, waiting for approval before advancing.

Permission was granted, eagerly, the ask-ee's arms embracing him.

'Bunny' still wanted _ badly _to reply but responding to his partner's advances felt more important for the moment. Their both being neophytes to mouth-kissing made for an awkward experience, rife with collisions and the scholar almost losing his glasses more than once. The clumsiness didn't diminish the thrill. 

It was only broken off when Klug felt warm, wet droplets falling on his face. 

Sig was crying again, but this was different from before.

This time, he was smiling.

These tears, which glimmered like shooting stars, weren't borne of pain or despair.

_ Heavens_... _ how could you _ ** _ever _ ** _ think of yourself as a monster? _

"Sig," he whispered, still a little winded, "I love you, too, Sig. So, so much."

Dark blue bangs hung down, barely brushing the mage's face as the two parties touched noses, just taking the time to enjoy being close to one another.

Eventually, the half-soul propped himself up with one arm, tracing a single claw along the glasses-wearer's collarbone with his free hand, "hey, still want to see, right? I'd... like that. Want you to see..."

Silently, Klug placed a hand on his companion's cheek, watching him. However quiet, Sig's voice lacked the fretfulness it had last time. Still a little shy, maybe, but no longer terrified. Stretching up a little more, the mage's fingers delicately brushed against the hair-tenne, which twitched at the contact and elicited a small giggle from their owner. They didn't seem to be trembling again, much to his relief.

"If you're okay, yes, I'd love to. Just promise me," he spoke insistently, thumb stroking the spot just under the plumes, "that you'll tell me immediately if you're uncomfortable. No suffering in silence, okay?"

"Mmmhmhmhmm," Sig hummed, leaning into the hand, "mmn, yeah, got it. Let you know right away. Feels nice~..."

_ How is it possible to be this adorable_, he privately mused, continuing his attention to the long poofs since Sig seemed to like it so much. He made a note to remember it for later. Cautiously, he asked, "do you want to unzip the jacket or should I?"

It took several seconds for the bug catcher to answer between pleased sounds, "you can. Mnn, oh, not wearing a shirt. Kinda dressed in a hurry."

"Y-yes, I suppose you would have been," the mage concurred, imagining how panicked _ he _ would have been in the same situation. He probably wouldn't have been brave enough to leave home, let alone seek outside help.

So very, very curious... and yet so increasingly nervous. What if it really _ was _ as terrible as Sig seemed to believe? What if it was something that he couldn't accept? What- _ no, stop second-guessing and just do it, _ his internal monologue chided, _ you care about Sig. Love him, even. He has one odd limb normally, another one or three isn't going to change anything. _

_ Do it. _ And so, still rubbing Sig's head affectionately, his free hand reached for the zipper and pulled. Being flat on his back made the action a little trickier than it had to be, but still doable. The slightly singed material hung down, not exposing all that much, but enough.

Immediately, he noticed cobalt incursions that traced the ribs on both sides, almost like stripes. They tapered quickly, though, leaving his companion's stomach untouched. Most of his chest was normal, too, though the dark flesh that now consumed both arms seemed slightly more invasive than the red had been. Yes, there was more of the rough navy skin than there had been of carmine, but it was hardly a _ complete _ transition, perhaps fifty-percent, maybe less, all of it roughly symmetrical. It wasn't random or patchy o-

Klug felt the plumes start to vibrate against his hand. "Hey, Sig, it's okay. I don't think it looks bad. From what I can see, it's actually... kind of pretty."

The trembling ceased, the hand sliding off the somnolist's head as Sig sat up and shrugged off the damaged coat. He offered a hand to the mage, helping pull his compatriot into a sitting position, too. _ From what you could see, huh. Well... _

Interestingly, once the jacket was discarded the darkness that had been clinging to it just... dissipated. The sleeves were still tattered at the edges but otherwise, it looked normal. Without the fabric in the way, the heatless flame roiled and reformed at Sig's shoulders and elbows. To be perfectly honest...

_ Stella lucet... _

"... Beautiful." Klug mouthed, not sure if he was actually speaking or not.

"Huh?" The half-demon looked confused, unsure if he'd heard correctly.

"Sig, I hope you go back to normal for your own sake, but... you still look fine like this. The striping, the illusory fire... it's kind of beautiful." The sparkling green eyes still showed a measure of concern, but the bibliophile was undoubtedly being sincere. He leant forward on his knees, placing one hand on his compatriot's shoulder, the other affectionately brushing a cheek. "You don't look like a monster, at all."

"Klug... really?" Even now, there was still a hint of uncertainty in the youth's tone.

Simply _ saying _ it didn't seem to be convincing enough. _ Fine_, when words failed, turn to actions. Klug drew the stubborn bug catcher close, lips hovering just centimeters above his classmate's. "Really."


	4. Instinct

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idiots bein' MORE cuddly.

The long, dark pair of hair-tenne twitched as Sig waited patiently for the kiss to connect. He wanted, no, _ needed _ his sweetheart to do this on his own, without aid or prompting. It didn't take more than a few seconds, though the anticipation made each feel like an eternity.

Eternity was _ completely _worth the wait.

Apparently, Klug didn't believe in half-measures, kissing him adamantly, almost forcefully, tongue nudging the somnolist's parted lips. Even now, the scholar sought his consent before committing any further trespass. He was more than willing to allow it, tentatively setting out on an expedition of his own.

Smooth hands slipped behind his back, keeping the two close as the mage's body pressed against his own, each sharing their warmth with the other. Carefully, the half-soul slid his taloned fingers past the unbuttoned shirt and up his paramour's spine, the pads coming to a stop on his friend's shoulder blades. Klug gave a small, surprised-sounding squeak, futilely trying to wriggle even closer.

_ Guess he likes that, _Sig noted with some satisfaction, trying not to leave scores on his boyfriend's skin as he kneaded it with his fingertips.

"Mmph," the celestial mage gave a muffled protest, forced to break off the kiss to draw in enough air to breathe, "S-Sig, I... I..."

"Hmm?" With a playful grin, Sig nuzzled his beloved's neck and inhaled. The familiar clean, soapy scent intermingled with the sweetness of grass and a hint of perspiration's salty musk. Another was present that he couldn't identify. Adrenaline, maybe? It was... interesting...

Klug released a long, shuddering sigh, leaning on his companion for support. "This is wonderful, Sig," he murmured with half-lidded eyes, "this is... it's _ everything_. Thank you..."

The gratitude added fuel to the warm, glowy sensation that filled the half-soul's chest. He... wanted to do something, but wasn't sure what that _ was_. It wasn't a desire as much as a _ need_, something important that eluded his attempts to identify it. Taking a deep breath, he gave his sweetheart's neck a little nudge, "hey, kinda... kinda want try something, okay?"

"Sure, what did yo-"

Sig's teeth were already brushing against the mage's shoulder, as though trying to decide on the perfect place. Hesitating, there was a hazy look in his glowing heterochromatic eyes, though it was completely impossible for his boyfriend to see. As long as he was careful, it'd be okay, wouldn't it? "Kururu," he pleaded in little more than a whisper, sliding one of his intended's pajama sleeves down a bit, "need to know if this hurts."

Rousing from his relaxed state, the Scholar fumbled, "hurts? What're y-"

With the utmost delicacy, the navy-haired youth tried a test-bite... and found it wanting. Making a small noise of frustration, he tried another spot on his beau's shoulder, further from the neck. He was determined to get this right _ without _ harming his loved one in the process, even as the 'why' escaped him.

It was closer to mouthing than actual _ gnawing. _ There was pressure, of course, and the numerous points poking into his inamorato's skin, but no ripping or tearing, no rending of flesh. In his dreamy trance-like state, Sig found the action oddly satisfying...

"S-Sig!" Klug yelped, it wasn't painful but it still made him freeze, heart thudding in his ribcage like a frightened rabbit's. Seconds later, he was released, but the tension remained.

_ What did I do? _ The bug catcher felt sluggish, like he'd just awoken from a particularly long sleep. Dim as he felt, his companion's discomfort was obvious and a feeling of dread wormed itself around his spine. "B-Bunny, _ Klug, _I," he choked, sure he'd done something terrible, shrinking as he repeatedly apologized, "I didn't mean to hurt you, s-sorry, I-"

"I'm... fine. Really, it's alright." It took genuine effort to shake the paralysis, but the celestial mage had to _ say _ something, _ do _ something to stem the tide of panic that threatened to drown his love. "See? You didn't maim me, I was just... surprised."

Unconvinced, Sig refused to look, withdrawing further as his dark ethereal 'wings' wrapped tightly around himself. It looked as though he were trying to disappear. How was he supposed to deal with injuring his sweetheart without even knowing _ why_? So confused, s-

That was when 'Bunny' bit him back, inexpertly and perhaps a little _ too _ hard. Still, it caught the somnolist's attention, if nothing else.

The mage felt like a complete idiot, joined to his friend's shoulder where sandy blue skin transitioned to normal flesh. He had even less of an idea what he was doing than _ Sig _ did, but it had seemed important to the half-soul. Awkward as he felt, this was an act of solidarity, an attempt to bond even without fully understanding.

Staring wide-eyed at the chestnut-haired leach, the plumes atop Sig's head wavered like an antenna trying to clear a half-garbled signal. This... he hadn't expected. Slowly, so _ so _ slowly, he enveloped his companion in a timid embrace, burying his face in the increasingly messy brown mop.

Satisfied that his partner was no longer falling to pieces, Klug relented and sank into the hug, licking his own lips as he breathed. Sig normally had an earthy sort of scent, but there was a sort of spicy element that kind of tingled. Whether that was normal, related to the transformation or the excess of magical power, he had no idea. It seemed harmless enough, regardless. Hugging Sig back, he prodded, "well? How was that?"

"Umm, okay, kind of," the half-demon seemed a little reluctant to pass judgement, even less inclined to admit it didn't do much for him, though the _ sentiment _ behind it did, "little too hard, but not bad."

"... Pretty terrible, huh? Honestly, I expected as much," chuckling to himself, Klug smiled wanly and gave his victim a supportive peck on the cheek, "I guess you'll have to show me how to do it the right way, then. Can I convince you to give me a lesson?"

"But, Bunny, don't wan-"

"_Sig_, look," he practically shoved his upper-arm into his boyfriend's face, "see? No blood, no gaping wounds. _ Heavens_, I'm not _ that _ fragile, Sig!"

"G-guess not," there was the tiniest hint of laugh behind Sig's contrite smile. Kissing the feisty celestial mage on the mouth, he apologized, "just didn't want to hurt you. You... really want a lesson?"

"Tch! You're asking the model student if he wants to learn something? Really, now," his brilliant green eyes narrowed as he brought out his absolute smuggest-looking smirk, "if you were any less cute I'd feel insulted."

The undiluted smarm was too much for the entomophile to handle, giggling as his small smile broke into a full-on grin. This bookworm really was something special and well-worth catching...


	5. Contemplation

Well, _ that _ had certainly been exhausting. None of the books he'd read had made _ any _ mention of just how tiring getting to first base with a partial demon could be. The mage sat up, back pressed against a convenient tree trunk, a similarly tired Sig propped up against him. The dozy half-soul wasn't quite asleep, murmuring as he cuddled his beloved's bare chest. Exactly _ where _ the academic's top had wound up, he had no idea. It was too dark to look even if he'd had the energy.

Tired, half-naked and probably covered in grass stains, Klug had not a single regret. Well, apart from not telling his sleepy companion how he felt sooner, but he'd been terrified of losing their friendship. The risk just hadn't seemed worth it.

It was all out in the open now, though, and that was the important thing. Smiling fondly, he stroked his boyfriend's hair. Despite the abnormal near-black color it was just as soft and smooth as the cyan version. Sig was still Sig beneath it all.

"Kururu," Sig half-mumbled, a pleased expression on his face, "love you."

Klug couldn't help smirking at that nickname, the one that only ever seemed to come out when his friend was half-awake or less. It beat the hell out of 'Glasses'. Letting the strands run through his fingers, he whispered, "I love you, too, Sig."

It fell on deaf ears if the minor increase in weight pressing into his chest was any indication. _ Ah well, at least the snuggly bug already knows, _ he thought smugly. Wait. _ Snugglebug... that could work. I'll remember th- _

He stopped thinking, stopped _ breathing_, and simply stared.

As had happened with the discarded jacket earlier, the strange aura seemed to be dissipating from the unconscious bug catcher, roiling away and vanishing like a morning fog. Gradually, the rough navy flesh lost its color, softening and returning to its original state. The unnatural pallor seemed to be fading, too. His imposing left arm remained, of course, but regained its reddish hue. As the last of the darkness bled off, the fully-restored Sig coughed and slowly blinked, wearily glancing at his companion.

"... Klug, you're crying."

The celestial mage didn't realize he'd started, but now he couldn't stop the tears from falling. Choking on his own words, he barely managed, "S-Sig, back - normal. S-so glad - you're okay..."

Taking a moment to make sense of the garbled statement, Sig eyeballed his hands and let out a long-winded sigh. He was relieved but too exhausted to make a big deal about it, electing instead to take the most sensible action and go back to sleep. As he dozed off, he smiled and murmured, "me, too."

Klug was left alone to dry his eyes while he kept one arm draped protectively over his comatose companion. Letting Sig nap was probably for the best: hopefully he'd feel refreshed enough by dawn to make the trek home. While the mage didn't mind lending a little support, his chances of actually _ carrying _his beau back successfully were close to zero. Theoretically probable, but so minute that an accurate measure was next to impossible.

He wasn't completely helpless but he knew his limitations full-well. While he was sure that the bug catcher had a limit, too, he'd never seen the guy struggle to move anything. When he'd come down with the flu, Sig had carried him around without blinking despite the mage's protestations of being fine. Even the stairs hadn't been a hassle.

... Just how much stronger _ was _ this 'dark' version of Sig? During their awkward fumbling it was obvious he'd been deliberately holding back after nearly squashing Klug in that bearhug. Despite that effort, the odd scratch here and there _ still _happened. Minor, of course, but if those claws were used in earnest, the consequences could easily be fatal. That wasn't even taking the arcane side of things into account.

Sighing, Klug shoved the dire set of thoughts away. Sig had still been Sig, and that was that. As long as that was the case, there was nothing to be afraid of. There was no reason to be scared o-

"Ah, it's... you. Hi," he spoke in a hushed tone, not wanting to disturb the Snugglebug, but not wanting to ignore, well, _ it. _

'It' seemed a cruel term for the pale cyan-colored spectre tethered to Sig, but asking its name wouldn't help. The scholar couldn't hear it, if it even spoke at all. He'd asked Sig about it once and just gotten an odd look in return. Apparently it never appeared to the body it was attached to. Was it shy or was it some sort of game to the entity? Given the nearly permanent grin on its 'face', it probably just thought it was funny...

Well, at least it didn't seem hostile like its red counterpart. On the contrary, the weird little thing seemed quite fond of the mage. Klug held out his hand as if to pet the apparition. Its intangible form made it impossible to actually_ touch_, but the intent seemed to make it happy. Despite its limitations, it pretended to nuzzle his hand, its round white 'eyes' squinting shut.

"You want to keep me company, I take it?" He'd gladly take this mute spirit over being alone. He continued to 'pet' the little soul splinter, idly wondering what it was thinking about while he waited for dawn.

Unnoticed, the smile on Sig's sleeping face broadened just a tiny bit.


	6. Uncomfortable Coffee Break

Slouched over the familiar kitchen table, Klug was taking a much, _ much _ deserved break at this early morning hour. He'd never felt so drained before, yet he still couldn't sleep, not yet. Not now. _ Getting _ home hadn't been as difficult as he'd thought. The two had managed to half-stagger back successfully but upon arrival Sig just, well, collapsed. It had taken all of the glasses-wearer's flagging strength to deliver the somnolist safely onto the couch. Resisting the siren's song of sleep had become more and more effort. Hopefully, the coffee quietly percolating on the stovetop would help. Normally he'd prefer something sweeter, something a little less bitter, but he needed more caffeine than tea could provide.

"Klug. What. HAPPENED?!" The red little pest raised its voice unnecessarily, the Record of Sealing plonked firmly in the middle of the table as it was, surrounded by a bevy of less prestigious literature the little terror liked to peruse at night as it never slept. It poked the worn-out mage with the eraser end of a pencil, not willing to waste lead just to annoy the lowly creature.

He waved a hand, to ward off the tiny antagonist, not bothering to raise his head as he mumbled, "coffee first, explain late- ow! Hey!" A tiny grey mark was left where the book demon poked the middle of his palm.

"No, NOW. There was a weird-feeling energy last night before you ran off to who-knows-where, you come back looking like you got run over by something, dragging my half-dead descendant with you and you want to explain it LATER? Well, I'm sorry if I'm just a little bit concerned by all of... of THIS!" It flailed, dramatic as ever, still dangerously waving the pointed writing utensil. Apparently it had changed its mind about wasting lead.

"Fine, _ fine_," Klug moaned, face buried in his sleeve as much out of tiredness as a desire to protect himself. It muffled his voice a little, but not much. "If you stop yelling I'll... try. No guarantees, alright?"

"DE-err, deal. So? What. Happened. Klug?" For an entity with none, Ayashii was all ears right now. It waited, ready to jab if its former host reneged on the deal.

Where to begin..? Eyes squinted thoughtfully, he finally started to talk, though slightly slurred from exhaustion. "'Remember your theory about Sig's arm? That it was a maturity... thing?"

How could the testy little entity forget? It had to lecture this purple-wearing idiot on the majority of the demon growth cycle: with a few omissions, of course, for less relevant facets. "Yes?"

"Mentioned something about... power spikes or summing..."

"I... yeah, I did. You're... you're saying_ that's _ why you look like a horse curb stomped you?" The wavering entity blinked for effect, not quite sure what to think. The timing, once again, was off. Aya had easily been in his second hundred years when that happened. His descendant wasn't anywhere _ near _ triple digits...

Not saying anything, Klug just gave a thumbs up in confirmation, face still hidden behind his other arm.

"If _ that _ happened then why aren't you dead?! You're seriously trying to tell me you got into a fight with a demi-demon with unrestrained power and you only look _ this _ bad?! Klug, kiddo, you may have improved in the last few years, but..."

"Fight..? Didn't say anything about fighting." Raising his head, he gave the chatty spectre an odd look, then wearily rose to address the now-quiet coffee percolator. Hopefully, the bitter brew would help.

Aya looked completely lost. Either the idiot boy couldn't identify a surge in power if it hit him, or... no, that was a stupid idea. The dolts were close, but they weren't _ that _ close. If that were the case, Klug would be way more than slightly disheveled, grimy and half-asleep. "Hey, kiddo, what makes you think it was a power surge? Just, ah, _ curious_..."

Klug blinked a few times, taking an experimental sip of the dark liquid, choked and made a terrible face. Sugar. Definitely needed sugar. Distracted, he dipped the spoon in the coffee first, then the sweetener as he mumbled, "eh, moodiness, dark miasma, color change, _ both _ arms with... um, claw hand... things."

"Oh. That's... yeah, that sounds about right. So how are you alive right now? Humor me."

Finally managing to sweeten the drink, the mage sipped at it bit by bit since it was still far too hot to down. He leaned against the counter, either contemplative or dozing off on his feet. "Should I be dead?.. huh. News to me."

So. Very. FRUSTRATING. It was more than a disembodied soul should bear, it _ really _ was! At least screaming made it feel better, but it really, _ really _ wanted more information. It visibly prickled with rage, then released it with a sigh. Not nearly as satisfying as a shout, but it was all Ayashii could think of for a release right now. Patiently, it started again, "alright, so you didn't fight. _ Why _ is Sig so exhausted?"

Hit with a sudden fit of coughing from aspirating liquid, the mage cleared his throat, trying to force the coffee from his lungs.

"Klug. What. Did. You. Do."

"Ggh. Nothing, okay?" He spluttered, struggling to clear the acidic beverage which didn't seem to be benefiting him in any way, "we just... talked. Mostly."

The little red spirit eyed the boy dubiously, tiny arms crossed. "Uh huh. I'm supposed to believe you're _ that _ scintillating a conversationalist? Wh- _ Klug_, where're you going?!"

"Where do you _ think?" _

"Don't leave me here! Take me too!" Aya was generally opposed to begging, but pride was worth less than information in this case. It even set down its pencil, and added, "please? Look, I'm the closest thing to an expert you've got!"

It... made sense, even in Klug's state of exhaustion. Exchanging the coffee for the Record of Sealing, the wearied youth shuffled back to the living room and back to Sig. Though his friend had a reputation as a narcoleptic, it bothered him to see the bug catcher look so, well, _ drained_. It didn't seem as though Sig had moved during the entirety of the mage's coffee break. Even the draped-over blanket didn't look disturbed.

_ That's... that's definitely not good_, Klug fretted, his grip on the book tightening. Gently placing the weighty tome on the coffee table, he made to check on his ailing sweetheart, meekly asking, "is... is being this fatigued _ normal, _ after..?"

"Huh? I mean, yeah, if you let a surge burn out, sure. It's not healthy, but it shouldn't kill him," the crimson pest almost seemed concerned, staring at its would-be vessel, "the first time's usually the roughest."

"First?" He repeated without grasping the meaning, too busy taking Sig's pulse to let it sink in. More sluggish than normal, but it was still there, still steady. The warmth beneath his fingers, or lack thereof, proved more troubling. Numbly, he started to process what Aya had said. "This... this is going to happen again, isn't it?"

Rolling its non-existent eyes, the book-bound demon wondered what exactly it had done wrong in life to be stuck talking to such a _ dullard_. "Probably, yeah? Being a dilute kinda makes matters messier, but if he's done it once it's a safe bet. I didn't go into specifics since I figured you'd be dead by th- oh, don't glare at me like _ that, _ kiddo," it huffed arrogantly, "like I _ said_, the human contamination makes things a mess. I wouldn't have expected this happening 'til the early hundreds, easily."

His eyebrow twitched at the use of 'contamination', as though being partially human were a disease or something. The longstanding grudge the cantankerous spectre held toward the mage's species was understandable but it didn't make it right. Those who had harmed it were gone and buried long, long ago. None of that was important right now, not a lick of it. A distressed look in his eyes, Klug ran his fingers over the pale blue locks that had become so familiar to him, asking, "what can I do?"

"Eh?" The tiny red viper wasn't listening, too busy being repulsed by such a small act of affection, too busy inferring just what it _ meant. _ It was bad _ enough _ that the mage insisted on being friends with what the demon considered an empty-headed shell, anything more was _ unthinkable. _

"Ayashii, _ please_," the lowly hominid turned to face the crimson entity, desperate for its knowledge, its _ guidance_, "how can I help him? You know so much about everything else, there has to be something..."

An appeal to its ego? The apparition smirked, despite the unsavory thoughts currently infesting its mind. It shrugged noncommittally and chuckled, "not really, kid. Just keep 'im comfortable and that's about it. Oh, he'll probably be starving after waking up, so I'd keep food handy if you don't wanna lose something."

For once, there was no smarmy undercurrent, no implied sarcasm as the academic thanked the semi-corporeal crimson being. It made Aya uncomfortable, frankly. It was used to trading barbs, not acting like a legitimate, well, _ friend_. It had always been a lonely sort, even when it had been whole, choosing silent written companionship over anything living.

"Klug, there's... something else you should know. You probably don't want to hear this, but," the tiny book demon folded its arms, "I wouldn't expect Signet's memory to be one-hundred percent if you catch my drift. Transitioning isn't just hard on a body. Hell, sometimes it's like a _ whole _ separate personality."

The mage simply... stopped. Unblinking, unbreathing, unmoving apart from his eyes which widened in shock. They were joined by his furrowing brow, then the rest of his face as it fell. His lungs started to burn in protest, demanding air that he'd ceased supplying. He coughed, blinked and stared at the ribbon-like red spectre. "Is... is that so?"

"... He bit you, didn't he?" It sounded uncommonly sympathetic, trying to give the impression of tilting its head.

"How did you..?"

_ Great, just _ ** _great_**. Not only did his former host have a thing for the empty-headed cabbage, which would have been bad enough, but said _ cabbage _ felt the same way. The spirit put its hands over its eyes and groaned, "oh, _ wonderful_, this just gets better and better..."

"A-Aya, what does that mea-?"

"Oh, _ nothing _ if you were fighting or you pissed him off or something. Let me guess, neither of those are the case, right?"

"Aya!"

"_Fine_, short answer: he's nuts about you. It's... it's kinda an ownership thing, a sign to ward other demons off. Klug, what did you _ do?! _ Well, _ aside _ from the obvious," the disgust in the wavy figure's voice oozed like foul, acrid bile, "and how could you do this to _ me?! _ Yeah, I promised not to take his body but it's _ still _ practically mine. Do you have _ any _ idea how _ weird _ that feels? You being my former host just makes it _ worse_!"

Klug was still trying to cope with the realization that when his boyfriend awoke there was a chance he... no longer _ would _ be. Worse still, what if 'black' Sig and _ only _ 'black' Sig shared his feelings? _ Radiant heavens_, how would _ that _ make 'normal' Sig feel?! He had to force himself to breathe, he _ had _to stay awake and functional. If anything happened to the somnolist, it wasn't like Aya could help even if it wanted to...

The whole situation _ sucked_, in the book-bound spirit's opinion. If only it lacked a personal stake in this freakshow, this was the sort of thing it would've _ loved _ to revel in, savoring the potential heartbreak as everything collapsed. Doomed, one-sided romances made for excellent reading and a live performance would've been even better!.. _ if _ it didn't involve Aya. Which it did. Which is why this _ sucked. _

"We... we didn't sleep together, if that's what's upsetting you." Both voice and expression of the bookworm were lifelessly flat, devoid of emotion as he desperately tried to keep from going to pieces. He was thankful that they hadn't gone that far, especially if the worst-case scenario turned into a worst-case reality.

"_Good_. But I'm still not happy that you tricked him into liking you."

"... Pardon?"

"What, you're suggesting that he _ legitimately _ likes you? Klug, _ please_, there's suspension of disbelief and then there's whatever _ this _ is. What're you after, anyway? His power? Bragging rights? The novelty value? What is it?"

A stunned silence filled the living room, an inquisitive demon's soul awaiting an answer on one side and a confused human drowning in disbelief on the other.

"A-Aya, what? That's... that's a _ terrible _ thing to say. I'm not _ after _ anything and I'm _ not _ a bad person, okay? I... I wouldn't trick Sig..."

"Not bad, no, but you're boring. Calling you on the other part though. Gaining power's the only thing you_ really _care about. That's why you originally got involved with me in the first place."

Shaking his head, the mage looked so, so tired as he replied, "that's... not quite right. Power was only the means to an end, it was never the goal _ itself_. I... I really just want to be respected. Liked. _ Loved_. If I had enough power, I thought I'd finally be worthy of it..."

"Klug, ew. Don't go all after-school special on me, _ please_. It _ totally _ doesn't suit you."

"Believe it or don't, it's okay," seeming much calmer now, he started stroking Sig's hair again, "and if he doesn't love me when he wakes up, well, he'll still _ like _ me, I know that much. It... it'll be alright."

The strange little red figure made retching noises, utterly _ done _ with this overblown optimistic feel-good nonsense. Aware that its theatrics were being ignored and therefore pointless, it wondered if there was _ any _ value to this whole affection thing. It watched the glasses-wearing idiot for some time, growing more and more bored of the whole affair.

"So... given any thought to future power surges?" 

"Hm? Oh," the human shook his head, busily tucking in another comforter he'd thrown over the still out-of-it entomophile, "not really, no."

"They'll keep happening to Sig randomly until he learns to control them, you know. I could help," it shrugged, appearing as nonchalant and uninvested as possible, "conditionally, of course. Just promise you'll hear me out, okay?"

Klug screwed up his eyes, adjusting his glasses as he stared at the fickle crimson form. "Go on."

"Let me borrow yo-"

"_No._" Complete. Shutdown.

"Hey, _ hey! _ You agreed to hear me out," it complained, louder than perhaps necessary but far short of yelling, "there's only so much I can do like... like _ this!_ You know that! I can still _ probably _ teach him a few things as I am, but-"

"You'll try to take his body _ again_. You keep going on about it being 'practically yours', do you honestly think I'm _ that _dense?!"

"I promised I wouldn't! Use a ward on me if you're so paranoid. That dopey idiot's not _ just _ your friend, he's my only hope of _ eventually _ regaining at least some of what I've lost. If he dies before passing his half of a soul on, I'll _ have _ to settle for inferior vessels or be stuck in here forever!" Arms crossed, it looked decidedly gloomy, mumbling under its 'breath', "I can't stay in a pure human indefinitely, anyway. They... aren't strong enough. So, waiting until Sig _ isn't _ Sig anymore may not be ideal, but it's better than an endless string of temporary vessels." 

Was that the reason the mage had felt so out-of-sorts following his forced possession? He'd written it off due to the triple beatdown his body had suffered during Ayashii's mercifully short reign. He had to ask, though he was sure the answer wasn't something he wanted to know, "what happens if you stay in a less-than ideal vessel for too long?"

"In a word? 'Pop'!" It mimed blowing up a balloon before smashing it between its palms, a crude but easily understood concept. "I've never actually _ seen _ it. Everything just kind of breaks down from being exposed to too much energy constantly. A day or two wouldn't do any permanent harm, though. You're still alive, after all!"

"That was less than a day and I felt awful all week!"

"Fine, if you want to just _ hope _ Signet learns to master it and doesn't have an inopportune episode in the meantime. You have no _ idea _ how lucky you were to distract him successfully..."

The scholar huffed, still incredibly uncomfortable with loaning his physical being to this... _ thing_. "Y-You're not the only demon in town, you know! I can-"

"What, the old man in the bear costume? Klug, he doesn't have a body, either! Even if he did, he's not even from the same _ caste_. I _ am_. _ I _ can do this," the carmine viper spat vehemently, "_I _ don't want that idiotic husk to get killed due to a preventable overloaded power freakout! If you really care about him then trust me, and let me _ help._"

Klug couldn't deny that the little entity made a good point. Still, _ trusting _ Aya? It was too much to think about, at least in this overtaxed state. He didn't trust himself to make a decision right now, especially one with such potentially serious consequences not only for himself, but for...

"I'll... I'll take it under advisement," he muttered, willing to give the split-soul _ that _ much.

"Hey, you heard me out. That's all I wanted," it seemed to smirk, "and I'll still see what I can do like this. It's in my best interest that he survives, after all."


	7. So, So Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sig's doing a little better, but he still has a long way to go.

_ Heavy_, so incredibly heavy.

It was strange, Sig never realized just how _ heavy _ each of his limbs were. If he concentrated, he could move the fingers of his right hand, barely. The left seemed a total lost cause. He couldn't make a single digit twitch.

At least moving wasn't a priority right now. Wherever he was, it was comfortable enough and seemed safe. There was something covering him but he still felt strangely cold. It was... weird. When was the last time he'd felt this chilly?

Still, there wasn't anything he could _ do _ about it, so he just relaxed, slowly opening and closing his fist for lack of anything else to do.

Something, no, some_ one _ was touching his face. Wearily, he forced one eye open and took in his surroundings. Ah, he'd recognize _ that _ worried face anywhere. Idly, he wondered why his friend looked so upset...

"S-Sig! _ Heavens be praised_, you're awake! I was so worried," the mousey celestial mage tried to hug him, difficult through the layers of fabric but not impossible, "h-how do you feel?"

"Um," he found speaking, like everything else right now, difficult, but decided to try. "Tired. Really... tired."

Klug still seemed agitated and uncertain, as though he were trying to make a decision. The mage gave him a second, smaller hug and stood up, stammering all the while, "I-I see, just, ah, wait here, o-okay? I'll..."

Blinking, he watched his friend go. '_Wait here'? _ An odd thing to say, considering how he felt right now. _ Silly bookworm_, he mused, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Yeesh, guess you really did burn out, huh? You're such a pain, you know that, right?" The wavering red spectre grumbled to itself, only speaking since it had nothing better to do. It chattered so fast that the bug catcher's hazy mind couldn't keep up. Usually it didn't have anything important to say, anyway, so it wasn't much of a loss.

The mage came back, holding something in his hands, keeping it close to his body as though he were afraid of dropping it. A glass, from the look of it. Carefully, his companion set it down on the coffee table, then sat next to him on the couch and started pushing against him. _ Why? _

"C-c'mon, you can't drink anything lying down. You've got to sit up, okay?"

There really wasn't much the worn-out somnolist could do to help, but someway, _ somehow_, Klug manage to shove him into a workable sitting position. His companion looked him over, obvious concern in those big, emerald-green eyes. _ So shiny. _

"Sig, think you can drink something? Please? It'll help you feel better..."

He had no objections, though his hands seemed to be in two states of useless at the moment. "Would," he smiled apologetically, clumsily wiggling the fingers of his right hand, "kinda hard. Sorry..."

"That's... that's okay. I don't mind helping."

_ So sweet, _ he mused, both about the orange juice and the bookworm. It took some time to work through the entire glass, but between the two of them, they managed. His only complaint was how _ cold _ it was...

Klug disappeared again, taking the little red snarkbox with him. It took less time for the mage to return, bringing a new object this time. A coffee mug? It looked warm...

"I had to let it cool down first," the scholar needlessly explained, "I figured you'd like something hotter after the juice..."

He gave a small nod, a grateful look on his face as he slurred, "thanks, Kururu..."

The faintest trace of a blush painted the academic's cheeks as he replied, "i-it's nothing, really. I just want you to feel better. It's, umm, sweeter than normal. I may have gone a liiittle bit overboard with the honey. It's supposed to be good for this sort of thing."

_ Very sweet_. Too sweet, under normal circumstances, but at the very least the natural sugars would do him some good.

Once the warming vital liquid was gone, he yawned, murmuring, "mmn, sleepy..."

"T-That's fine, Sig. Is... is it okay if I nap with you? You still seem kind of cold, an-"

The scholar was interrupted by a very, _ very _asleep entomophile's weight pressing against his shoulder. A fond expression on his face, he straightened the blankets out and mumbled softly to himself, "I'll take that as a yes, then."

So, _ so _ tired. Sitting up on the couch was hardly the _ ideal _ condition to get some rest but, honestly, at the moment even a bare floor would have sufficed. It took no time at all for him to drop off for a well-deserved nap, cuddled up in a nest of warm linens with his odd comatose companion.


	8. Hunger Pangs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> However ravenous Sig feels, his craving for company is greater. Why? Why does the prospect of being alone hurt so much..?

Sig was still asleep when the mage came to again, immediately aware of his glasses poking into his nose. _ Ggh, _ he removed the offending frame, rubbing the tender spot with his fingertips. _ I suppose that's what I get for falling asleep with them on. _ It had been for a good cause, though.

This whole experience had been so unbelievably bizarre, it may well have been a dream were it not for the ample evidence, first and foremost being the cyan-haired snugglebug currently cozied up at his side. His own disheveled appearance came in a distant second, not having had time to take care of himself and change clothes yet. Normally being in this state would've made his skin crawl but right now he was simply too tired to care.

_ Poor guy, he still looks exhausted, _ Klug fretted, checking to see if his friend's condition had improved at all. A little warmer, but below average for a normal person and _ far _ lower than what was normal for _ him_. Still, an improvement was an improvement, however slight.

At least the bug catcher's breathing seemed easy and untroubled, if a little slow. The soft, regular breaths he felt on his shoulder were a subtle reassurance that Sig was okay. Well, maybe not _ okay_, but fair, given the circumstances.

... And this was going to happen _ again? _ Even if this was the absolute nadir, and the next one wasn't as bad, it still wasn't going to be easy on his boyfr- err, _ friend_. Hopefully the stress and overwhelming nature of the transition didn't affect the half-soul's memory as dramatically as Aya posited. Still, if anyone understood traumatic memory loss, it was Klug. He'd know it wasn't intentional or a made-up excuse to wriggle out of something. Understanding it wouldn't make matters easier to cope with, but would make the situation less difficult to accept. 

_ Stars, _what about the other thing the little red miscreant had mentioned, the one about power surges resulting in radical personality shifts? If 'black' Sig returned his affections, but 'normal' Sig only wanted him as a friend...

No... no. Running through all the potentially disastrous outcomes wouldn't help _ either _ party. At least his exhausted cohort didn't immediately panic after regaining consciousness, so that was _ something _ positive. Still, Sig _ had _ been weary and barely awake. It could hardly be considered definitive evidence one way or the other.

Letting his uneasiness show would just make Sig worried, too. He didn't want to complicate matters any more than necessary. Just stop obsessing, keep calm and operate under the assumption that they were friends and _ only _ friends until proven otherwise. Sensible enough.

Maybe it'd be better to try and go back to sleep. That way, his subconscious would quit dredging up new and increasingly terrible scenarios to torment him with. It was a fickle thing, that nagging voice in the back of his head, sometimes supportive but more often critical of anything he did.

He was so consumed by his ruminations that the soft sound of voice nearly made him jump.

"Hi." Simple, short and very much in-character. Quieter than normal, perhaps, but his head _ was _ on Klug's shoulder.

"Ah," the celestial mage verbally stumbled, "h-hey. Doing any better?"

There was an odd haziness in his mis-matched eyes, but that wasn't an immediate cause for alarm. Slowly, he blinked, taking a moment before the words seemed to register. Once again, he tested the digits of his right hand, wriggling them before making a fist. _ Better. _ The left was a little more stubborn, but worked all the same. It took some effort, but he managed to sluggishly hug Klug's arm, clinging to it like a blue-haired barnacle. "Uh-huh."

So, _ so _ relieved. To be frank, Sig's initial inability to use his left hand freaked him out _ more _ than a little. Yes, sometimes the limb could be difficult, but those instances had become fewer and farther between.

"Good, good," Klug murmured, trying not to rush his words and make it harder for his companion to parse them, "feeling hungry at all? I can get you something."

The bug catcher _ hrmm- _ ed, as though it were a choice rather than a state of being. _ Was _ he hungry? A grumbled protest from his stomach settled it, he _ definitely _ needed food soonish, but he was also happy where he was. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of being alone right now was... well, it was unsettling. _ Distressing, _even.

Apparently the rumble hadn't gone unnoticed and the academic was trying to free himself in the gentlest way possible. Not coordinated enough to seize the mage's sleeve before it slipped away, Sig made a small noise in frustration, flopping onto his side since his support had gone.

Feeling sorry for his compatriot, Klug figured it would be acceptable enough to ruffle the the sad-looking youth's hair as he apologized for his necessary extrication. "Sorry, but I have t-"

_ Bite. _

It wasn't aggressive or particularly hard, but the half-soul _ did _ bite his hand.

_ "Sig, _let go. I know you're peckish but you can't eat that."

Reluctantly, the somnolist released him, mumbling, "don't want you to go..."

"You _ need _ food. It won't take long, alright?" Sighing, he wiped any possible traces of saliva onto his pajama top. A little drool couldn't make it any filthier. At least Sig didn't seemed determined to make him into a hand sandwich. _ Stars, _ he wanted a shower. A bath would be even better.

Fruit was probably the best option right now. Self-contained, no assembly or cooking required. Essential, given that Klug had no idea how long his exhausted friend would remain cognizant this time. Bringing the entire wire basket seemed the safest option, letting the somnolist pick whatever he fancied.

_ Well, at least he's still awake, _the mage sighed, offering the sulking bug hunter the basket as a peace offering.

Both the red and blue eyes glanced up from the spot Sig'd flopped onto, still giving the impression that he wasn't _ quite _ all there. Gradually, his right hand extended, closing around an apple that he disinterestedly started to chew on. It wasn't a critique on the quality of the fruit, but he _ wanted _ to be cozied up to the bookworm again. 

"...It'd be easier to sit down if you didn't keep laying on your side, you know."

_ Oh. _ That was probably true. Sinking his teeth into the fruit, the sleepy-eyed youth 'scrambled' to sit up, having a much harder time than he would have normally. "Sshrry," he tried to say, trying to apologize through a full mouth.

The mage didn't mind lending the strugglebug a hand, supporting his friend and preventing him from simply flopping over again in his slow yet frantic effort to get up. Afforded enough room to take a place on the couch, he settled with his back against an arm, intending to make himself as easy to snuggle as possible. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Sig. It's okay."

Even in his hazy state, the entomophile didn't waste time, scooting closer to his bookworm and dragging the blankets with him. Making himself comfortable, he eventually laid on his side, curled up on his classmate's chest. No longer feeling miserable and alone, he finally started eating the fruit in earnest, tearing pieces off with his teeth and trying to suck up the juice before it dribbled onto Klug's shirt. It was surprisingly satisfying and served to stoke his appetite, making him realize just how hungry he really was.

All the while, gentle green eyes observed the ravenous figure leaning against him, wondering what exactly had made Sig so worried that he wouldn't come back. He'd never been aware of his companion having abandonment issues before. Maybe it was a product of a fatigued mind. Noticing the apple was nearly down to a core, he fished another out of the basket and presented it. "Hey, I'll trade with you."

Blinking as he nibbled what little flesh remained, the new fruit was so _ tempting_. It wasn't a fair trade, he knew, but he couldn't keep his mouth from watering as he reached out to take it, exchanging it for the stripped core. He sunk his teeth into this new unsullied apple, a pleased look on his face.

Klug smirked, making sure the blankets remained around his thermally-deficient friend. _ Cute, as long as _ ** _I'm _ ** _ not next on his menu. _

As the hungry bug catcher steadily ran through the delectables with edible skin, the mage worked on peeling those that weren't. If he didn't, he was pretty sure Sig would probably eat them as they were, bitter rinds and all. It also gave him an excuse to take an orange for himself. Surely having _ one _ wouldn't make much difference.

Eventually, there wasn't anything left but the wire container and an impressive collection of skins and cores. Still, the meal's positive impact was worth all of the fallout.

The lost, confused look had been replaced by his normal sleepy expression as he licked the remaining juice from his fingertips. Not the most elegant solution, but he still wasn't in a hurry to go anyplace. Unnecessarily, he murmured, "dun' like being sticky."

"That's... understandable." The scholar refrained from commenting that being covered in saliva wasn't much better, at least from a sanitary perspective. "Still hungry?"

Mismatched fists closing around the fabric of the mage's top, Sig's nod was hesitant, accompanied by a small noise in his throat. Though more aware than before, he still couldn't shake the irrational fear of abandonment. At least he _ recognized _ it as irrational now, but that didn't make it go away.

"Mmhm, still want you to stay. Nervous being alone," he admitted, fingers tightening around the fabric they clutched, "'s dumb, but can't help it..."

Despite being roughly the same height, the normally placid entomophile looked so much smaller curled up against Klug like this, an involuntary shiver making the cyan tufts vibrate.

Seeing his friend in this distressed state was deeply, _ deeply _ disturbing. Even if he'd _ wanted _ to abandon Sig it just wasn't possible. He _ lived _ here, after all. Even under normal circumstances fears didn't necessarily have to make sense, they were just _ there_. Carefully, he hugged the trembling form to him, resting his chin on the bug catcher's head. It wasn't a romantic embrace but a protective one.

"It's not dumb, Sig. You feel how you feel," sighing, he gave the half-soul a reassuring squeeze, "honestly, it's not a shock if you feel kind of vulnerable. It's okay."

"... Don't like being trouble."

"-And you're not, alright? If you _ were _ trouble I'd just tell you.

"'Kay." Short, simple and Sig-ish. He wasn't entirely convinced by the mage's words, but it _ did _ make him feel better. Good enough not to worry about it anymore, at least.

"A-anyway, if you're not starving to death, I don't mind staying like this for awhile. You still seem a little cold, after all, and staying warm is important, too." While he wasn't _ glad _ about Sig's post-surge condition, being like this reminded him of their first hug under the library table. It had felt so strange and awkward at the time but the offered solidarity worked splendidly in calming the anxious boy. Judging from the loosened grip on his shirt, it still did.

... That, or Sig was asleep again. The increase in weight confirmed that he was, indeed, dead to the world. It was weird the way a sleeping body seemed so much heavier than one which was awake.

Adjusting himself a little and ensuring the linens were secure, the bespectacled one loosely hugged the sleeper, chuckling softly. "Sig, _ Sig... _ what am I going to do with you?"


	9. Little Red Chatterbox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayashii accidentally wakes up Sig while trying to talk to... someone else. Who?

Mumbled words, only half-heard and impossible to understand. Still too tired to care. _ Just let me sleep... _

Minor jostling. Annoying, but easy enough to ignore. _ Go away... _

Hard points pressing into his skin. Too close to his eyes, no choice. _ Wake up... _

Klug shuddered involuntarily, a side effect from being dragged from the depths of a satisfying sleep. He blinked, waiting for his eyes to focus. It seemed to be taking too long. Then, he remembered: this time, he'd taken his glasses off _ before _ falling asleep.

Being nearsighted didn't make him blind, though, and he could certainly see well enough to identify just who it was poking his face. Even if he _ were _ blind, he only knew one person with claws like that, anyway.

"...Sig? What's... what's up?" Very, _ very _ groggy. He barely qualified as 'awake' at all.

Finally removing the pointy digits from the mage's face, their owner slowly drawled, "wanna sleep but Aya keeps babbling... asking weird stuff. Dun' understand..."

Apparently Klug wasn't the only one struggling with the whole consciousness thing.

Ugh, why did the chatty book want to bother Sig? Ayashii knew what was going on better than either of _ them _ did, so it should've let the half-demon sleep at the very least. It didn't make sense, but very little seemed to, these days.

He really didn't feel like getting up, but he felt like a long distance shouted conversation even less. Feeling for his glasses, he looked at the sleepy bug catcher curled up against him, still securely ensconced in warm blankets. The dazed, lost look hadn't returned, at least.

"Hey, Sig," he murmured, remembering his friend's separation anxiety earlier, "I... kinda have to get up. Will you be okay?"

The mismatched, barely open eyes blinked up at him. Confused, maybe? It was hard to tell...

"If I leave, I mean," the mage tried to clarify.

Sig still didn't seem to understand the question, but eventually mumbled, "um, sure?.."

"You're not worried?"

"No..? Why?" It was more yawn than response as the bug catcher scooted into a loose sitting position, still shrouded in a cozy fabric cocoon. The insecurity he'd displayed last time was entirely absent, as seemed to be his memory _ of _ it. A raised eyebrow seemed to ask, ** _should_ ** _ I be worried_?

"Nothing!" Answering too fast, too hastily, Klug fumbled, "no reason, none at all! I, ah, have to... so, if I may be... p-pardoned..."

"Hff fn," came a muffled utterance from inside the wad of blankets where Sig had encapsulated himself completely. Snug as a bug in a rug, so to speak. At least he seemed comfortable..?

Giving the bundle a glance, the scholar sighed, almost wishing Sig _ had _ needed more consoling just to put off talking with the book-bound demon's soul that haunted the kitchen. _ Almost_, but he wasn't quite that selfish. With no more excuses, he couldn't very well put it off any longer, could he?

Wearily, he stood, shuffling off and away to confront the red-tinged chatterbox... chatterbook? Judging from the spectre's crossed arms, he'd been expected.

"Figures that _ you'd _ show up," the yellow-eyed ribbon-thing groused, "being a good little demon's servant for your new master, eh?"

"... What are you eve- no, no," Klug shook his head, still too tired to follow Aya's attempted insult and certainly too tired to _ care_. "Look, you were bothering Sig, and I want to kno-"

"I didn't _ want _ to talk to your stupid little boyfriend, okay? It's so _ frustrating_! And no, I don't wanna talk to _ you_, either!" Bristling, the little soul turned away. It seemed more defensive than usual.

"Ayashii, who-"

"NONE OF Y- em, _ none of your business! _ Look, I wasn't getting anywhere _ anyway, _ so fine, I'll give up. Just leave me _ alone_." An odd emphasis, whether it intended it that way or not.

Pulling up a chair, the half-awake mage seemed to have little interest in granting the split-soul's wish. Its habit of babbling had backfired, fostering curiosity and interest instead. Warily, it wavered, eyeing the human contemptuously. "_What? _ I said I'd leave him alone. That's what you _ wanted_, right? _ Go away_."

"Aya," though heavy with sleep, there was a softness in his tone, "who did you _ want _ to talk to?"

The gentility only served to agitate the book demon further, its edges becoming spikier as it half-yelled, "_it doesn't matter! _ Why are you even _ pretending _ to care?!"

Whoever or whatever it was, their silence obviously bothered the tiny carmine viper. It was angry, yes, but... it seemed upset, too. Hurt, maybe.

"You're... talking about the blue thing, aren't you?"

"It's not a _ thing_! So, _ you've _ seen it, then? Does it talk to _ you_? _ Perfect_, just _ wonderful_! So it _ is _ just ignoring _ me_!" Its tiny claws balled into fists as it kept its voice to a low shriek, the knowledge that its counterpart associated with the human and his stupid bowl-cut adding insult to its existing injury.

Yeah, that definitely hit a nerve. In an effort to placate the increasingly upset entity, Klug leaned back, adjusting his glasses as he said, "I've _ seen _ it, yes, but it's never spoken to me, either. I don't even know if it has a _ name_, Aya..."

Ayashii seemed to pause, blinking unnecessarily. Its edges seemed to soften, still jagged but no longer rippling with fury. "Oh. Yeah, I guess that's true, huh? You... you don't have a connection."

"Does it have a name? If it does, I'd love to know. Referring to it as, well, _ 'it'_..."

"... I don't know. It never answers."

The kitchen was quiet, apart from the odd birdsong from outside. What time _ was _ it, anyhow..?

"Maybe it can't?"

Tiny golden eyes narrowed, staring the mage down. Hastily, it snapped, "why are _ you _ trying to make _ me _ feel better?! I didn't _ ask _ you to!"

Why was he, indeed? Raising his hands, the angry being's one-time host sighed, "fine, if you _ don't _ want me to tell it you'd like to talk the next time I see it..."

"You'd... actually do that? I'm _ still _ mad at you, y'know. One favor's not gonna make me _ happy _ that you seduced my body's descendant. Just to be _ completely _ clear, I'm still _ freaked out _ about it!"

"Aya. I. Did. Not. Sleep. With. Sig. Understand?"

"But you _ will_! That's all you finite lifespan primitives _ think _ of! Why, _ why _ did it have to be _ you_?! That idiot has _ zero _ taste! _ None whatsoever!! _" As dramatic as the little spectre was, at least it was acting closer to 'normal'. Needling Klug usually tended to make it happier.

"... Thanks. So do you _ want _ me to ask, or...?"

It stared at him, not sure what to say. Accepting the offer _ was _ humiliating, but if it made the blue soul even a _ little _ more likely to reply... maybe the indignity was worth it. A quiet, one word response. "Yes."

"Good, that's settled, then. Honestly," Klug mumbled, sinking a little as he fiddled with his shirt cuff, "with the whole memory thing..."

"Wait. Waiwaiwaiwait. You still haven't _ asked him about that?! _"

"_No! _ It... there hasn't... I'm," his brow furrowed, equal parts frustration and worry, "this is hard enough on him _ as it is_. I just want him to be okay."

"... Huh. So you'd rather suffer than bug him about it?"

"_Yes! _ Is it _ really _ that difficult to believe?"

The kiddo had_ always _ been insecure. That was part of what made him so easy for Aya to manipulate, so easy to use. However disgusting it found the situation, there was a great deal of potential for exploitation. This _ affection _ could have value after all...

Shrugging, its manner softened just enough to be convincing without causing suspicion. "I _ guess _ more stress won't help, so it's still in your own interests not to press him. Either that or you're one of those flagellate types that _ likes _ to torment themselves. Wouldn't surprise me!"

Its amused cackling, at least, was one-hundred percent genuine.

"Yes, yes, you're the master of comedy. Though, I've agreed to do you a favor... would you object to me asking one of you? If I have to go much longer without a shower-"

"Even if my home wasn't paper based, I'm not scrubbing _ anyone's _ back, not-sorry, kiddo."

"-That... sounds like a great way to get stabbed. No, I was _ going _ to ask if you'd keep an eye on Sig."

"Oh. Babysitting. Hoo-ray," it crossed its arms again, but it's not like it had anything _ better _ to do. "I get to scream if something happens, right?"

"I thought that part might hold some appeal for you."

Gleefully, _ much _ too gleefully, the little spectre rubbed its palms together. "Sure, sure! I've got this handled!"


	10. Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... About last night...

Though fresh clothes and a shower left Klug feeling significantly better, he still couldn't help but be worried. At least the cackling book demon wouldn't be trouble for awhile, wanting to be left upstairs to sift through a few tomes for reasons it didn't feel compelled to share. Expert on the situation at hand or not, Aya was still Aya, fickle to a fault.

It was only natural for Sig to be exhausted after such a dramatic surge of power but it was the drop in temperature that scared him. Sig's arm wasn't _ supposed _ to have an average human body temperature. While there had been minor improvements, it was _ still _ too low for comfort. Maybe he should get another blanket or someth-

"Hey, Kururu," the voice wasn't much louder than a whisper, but it didn't need to be, "sorry about this..."

What was there to apologize for? It's not as though the cyan-haired youth _ chose _ to have an unrestrained surge of power and worn himself ragged. The academic said as much, delicately ruffling the somnolist's hair, "don't worry, don't worry. It's not like any of this was on purpose. Just feel better, got it?"

"Got it," Sig parroted, then shivered involuntarily, pulling the blankets tighter around himself, "kinda... cold." 

"I can get another comforter, if you wan-"

A perfectly normal human hand snaked out from the quilted sanctuary, loosely closing around the celestial mage's wrist. Sig shook his head, mumbling, "nah. Need something warm. Stay with me?"

"I... yes, that's not a problem," Klug hesitantly waffled, "are you sure you don't need anything else, first?"

Was... the celestial mage stalling? Why? Had Sig done something to upset his companion? He released the academic's wrist, unsure of what to do. "What's wrong? Klug," luminous eyes full of uncertainty, he reluctantly asked, "I did something..?"

"W-what? No, _ no_! Don't even think that! It's... me. Potentially. I," cringing, the glasses-wearer inhaled so sharply that is sounded painful, "I mean, you were under duress, and I didn't even consider-"

"Um, a dress? Consider what..?"

"Sig," he dropped to his knees, face twisted by a combination of guilt, remorse and honest-to-goodness _ fear, _he stammered, "h-how much of last night do you remember?"

That seemed an odd thing to be agonizing over. Unless… _ oh_...

"Um, _ everything? _ Why?.. Changed your mind? About us?" Sig's voice faltered with the last two words, a knot forming in his chest that made it difficult to draw breath. Had everything just been a lie to calm him down?

"_N-no! _ No, I just wanted to be sure. You were more, ah, emotional? Excitable, maybe? I just," Klug cleared his throat, trying to hide exactly how panicked he felt, "i-if I pushed you into something when you were vulnerable... _ radiant heavens, _I... I'm so, s-"

"_Bunny, _stop." Despite his fatigue, the somnolist managed to sound impressively stern. Remaining under the pile of comforters, he squirmed as close to the edge of the sofa as he dared, closer to his beau. Reaching out, he stroked Klug's cheek affectionately and sighed, "felt a little different, kinda moody, but still myself. Still me. Still love you. Okay?"

"You... you do?" The grip terror had around the mage's throat eased, making it easier to breathe, easier to think. Careful not to drag Sig onto the floor with him, he tried his best to envelop his sweetheart in a hug, blankets and all. Grateful tears rolled down his cheeks as he held on for dear life, "you have _ no idea _how much it means to hear you say that... no idea."

Arms pinned to his sides by the ardent bear-hug, Sig's mismatched eyes betrayed his confusion over his boyfriend's paranoia. True, he could be absent-minded, but about something _ this _ important? His words were unusually guarded as he asked, "thought I'd forget? Klug..."

"I... I was, yes. Being stressed, being terrified... all of that tends to be hard on a person," he sympathized, recalling the blank in his memory the possession incident had left, "I'd understand if you didn't remember everything."

"Still love me?"

It suddenly occurred that this _ entire time _ he'd been fretting over Sig's feelings for him, he'd failed to confirm _ his _ for Sig. While his actions _ implied _ it, an implication wasn't quite the same. He tilted his head and moved a tiny bit, sharing in a slow, deliberate kiss. "Of _ course _ I still love you, Sig. You're... you're important to me."

Satisfied with the answer, the somnolist settled back, a pleased but tired look on his face. 

Emotionally drained but happier nonetheless, Klug rose shakily to his feet as he remembered something. "Hey, you... you still want something warm, right? A hot water bottle might be better. Less damp, for one thing," the excess moisture in his eyes made them glimmer more than usual as he gave a sheepish half-smile, "and... you always say I have cold hands..."

"You do," Sig agreed as he tried to make room, "don't care."

Dressed in a fresh button-down shirt and slacks, Klug placed his glasses on the coffee table and wedged himself on the couch with the thermally-challenged bug catcher, settling in on his back. He figured that would provide the greatest surface area possible, make the most use of the cramped space as well. "There's still something I want to apologize for," his voice was much, _ much _ calmer this time, "I was kind of harsh and pinning you down against your will probably didn't help. Forgive me?"

Raising an eyebrow, the already-snuggled-up Sig smiled softly and flexed his crimson-colored hand, the claws subtly poking the skin beneath the dress shirt. _ Remember who you're talking to, _the action seemed say. "Could've got free anytime, Bunny," he relaxed, already feeling a little warmer, "didn't."

In truth, the celestial mage had been so driven to help that he'd either forgotten or chosen to ignore just how strong his companion was. Under normal circumstances that left arm could probably fracture a wrist, possibly solid bone as well. Having _ two _ and an excess of untamed magical power... well, Klug considered it fortunate that Sig was still _ Sig. _

If the chatty book demon had been telling the truth, Sig _ would _ change again. It was natural. Unavoidable. _ Inevitable_. At least, it would be until he mastered it, _ if it _could be mastered at all. How long would that take? Unknown, considering how badly his attempt at a small spell had backfired. His emotional state at the time doubtlessly affected his concentration but it was still worrisome.

_ Stars_, was the academic seriously considering taking Ayashii up on its offer? The idea was reckless! Crazy! _ Dangerous! _ But what realistic alternatives were there? Shadowing Sig 24-7? Just _ hoping _that it went better next time? The thought of trusting the little red viper left him sick to his stomach, threatening to make his gorge rise. Aya wasn't being hostile to Sig outright anymore but that didn't mean its intentions on him had changed.

"Hey, Klug, what'cha thinking about?" Half-lidded mismatched eyes regarded the mage curiously, their bearer blissfully unaware of the terrible idea rattling around in the other's head.

"It's... it's nothing. Nothing worth considering. Anyhow," he teased the spot just under the entomophile's odd hair poofs, hoping it was distracting enough to avoid giving a real answer, "feeling any better?"

"Mmnnhmm, more comfy, yeah. Still have cold hands," Sig nuzzled the soft shirt fabric, a small but contented smile on his face, "heart's warm, though. Makes up for it."


	11. Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, small reassurances mean the most.

Snuggled comfortably on the plushy couch, Klug… wasn’t really sure what to do, apart from holding his new boyfriend, making his sweetheart feel safe. Sig _ said _ he loved him and clearly held affection for him… but he worried over how much to display now. Without a lead, he just felt lost.

Considering just how intense Sig’s ‘black' form had been, it was kind of difficult picturing the mellow entomophile currently lounging on his chest being… well… _ quite _like that. Being confused, he felt, was natural in a situation like this. Still… he wouldn't trade his current perplexed state for anything. Tussling in the grass and nipping at his neck or sedately curled up and watching him with those striking mismatched eyes, Sig was still _Sig_. This particular Sig was just… mellower than last night.

Between the snacks and plentiful amount of rest, the bug catcher had finally started to feel 'normal' again. Still tired, but no longer freezing to death with the strength of a quivering, newly-hatched larva. Though he didn’t feel like his legs would buckle if he tried to stand, it would be a day or two before he'd even consider something ‘big’, say, trying to sweep his sweet mage off of his feet. A shame, but the novelty wasn't worth the risk.

Feeling less awful didn't mean he was in a hurry to leave. Snuggled into the academic's shirt, arms draped protectively around his body, cloaked in warm blankets... it was comforting. Klug just seemed happy to let him cuddle. No rushing, no demands, just quiet companionship. It wasn’t worth feeling half-dead for by itself, but if he’d feel awful, anyway, it was a wonderful consolation prize. The shared affection, though… _ that _ might have been a fairer exchange.

Still, the bug catcher was feeling well enough to be curious, so, _ so _ many questions buzzing like gnats in his head. Mostly harmless, but difficult to ignore. Wanting to make sure the mage was awake, he gently murmured, “hey, Klug? Bunny?”

Truthfully, the practitioner of celestial magics had started to zone out a little, but the soft words snapped him back immediately. “S-Sig? Sure, what’s up? Feeling okay?”

“Mmhmm,” the snuggly somnolist nodded, head still resting on his sweetheart’s warm chest, “curious, umm… had a crush, right? Never said anything. Why?”

“That's… well, it's complicated…”

“Scared..?”

Upper lip stiffening, Klug opened his mouth to protest, but… didn't. Slightly ashamed, he glanced off to the side, arms tightening around the bug hunter just a little bit. “In part, yeah. I… I was pretty sure you wouldn't feel the same. It didn't make much sense, anyway. We're so, well, _ different_, and you did so much I didn't _ get_, but… I liked spending time with you, anyway.”

“Indoor, outdoor?”

“Exactly.”

“Nervous, calm?”

“Right.”

“... Human, part demon?” Mumbling, Sig started staring as his odd hand again, watching the tendons in his claws stretch and contract as he flexed them.

“I _ told _ you, Sig,” he sighed, running the fingers of one hand through his disbelieving boyfriend's hair, “I love _ you_, not just what you are. That’s not to say your heritage isn't fascinating, but even without it… you’re still _ you_. Still Sig. Still special.”

The entomophile stopped inspecting his own hand, moving his curious scrutiny to Klug’s face instead. ‘Tenne flicking, Sig ‘hm’d, picking at the academic’s shirt placket with his ‘normal’ fingertips. “Kinda… kinda wanna try something. Mind if this is open..?” 

The academic blinked, not really sure what his companion’s insecurity and an open shirt had to do with each other, but it wouldn’t do any harm. If it made Sig more comfortable, all the better. “I don’t mind, no.”

Silently, the sleepy-eyed somnolist’s expression turned serious as he started unbuttoning his new boyfriend’s top: or, at least, he tried to. Determined not to use his dominant hand, he fumbled to manipulate the buttons, a tiny sliver of tongue sticking out in frustration.

This… felt important. Not wanting to break his friend's concentration, Klug merely watched the minor struggle, questioning why Sig was so adamant about using this one instead of the other, or indeed both. _ He has an easier time with his claws _…

_ Half seems good_, Sig decided, wriggling to get a better angle despite the cramped confines of the sofa. Hesitantly, as though he expected his classmate to shrink back, he slipped his hand into the dress shirt, just… keeping his hand there. Familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. Timidly, he ran it down the scholar’s side, both the crimson and azure eyes staring fixedly at Klug.

Being stared at in such a way was unnerving, but the feel of his sweetheart’s fingertips took up most of his attention. Stiff and almost robotic at first, as it became obvious he had no intention of rejecting either the half-soul or the affection, the hand’s movements became smoother and more natural, the fingers splaying to cover more territory. Their touch was so soft, so _ light _ compared to the feel of 'black' Sig's clawed digits. This was a different feeling entirely.

Feeling more comfortable with both himself and what he was doing, the bug hunter nuzzled into his ‘catch’s neck, droning softly as he continued to stroke his beau’s sides and chest, careful not to tickle the poor thing this time. “Bookworm,” he crooned, resting his head on Klug’s shoulder, “feels nice?..”

“It’s more than ‘nice’, Sig,” the green-eyed mage gave a reassuring smirk, breathing deeply as he savored the moment. Though, he _ had _ to ask, “you thought I wouldn’t..?”

Sig couldn’t keep his claws still, a warm, pleasant rumble in his tone as he tried to explain. “Was kinda worried that you only liked, umm, the non-human... stuff,” a short, nervous laugh escaped as he glanced off to the side, feeling a little silly, “wanted to make sure…”

“_Sig_, now do you believe me?” The mage tried to mask his disappointment with being doubted _ again_, but if he were in Sig’s position he’d be just as insecure. Moreso, probably. He tried not to take it personally.

“Mmmhm. Um, also… r-really wanted to know how it felt, how… how you felt. Can’t feel much with _ these,_” sounding a little embarrassed, he wriggled his unseen, slightly rigid claws to illustrate his point, “your skin’s really soft, um, warm too. Really like it…”

“Flatterer. I suppose it’s better than you saying it’s rough and clammy…”

“Hands’re still cold, though.”

Raising an eyebrow, the mage snickered, giving his boyfriend a little squeeze. “Brutally honest as always. Still, you’re _ incredibly _ sweet, sometimes…”

“Cute?” His ‘tenne pricked up, a hopeful glimmer in his heterochromatic eyes.

“_Yes_, Snugglebug, you're cute. _ Painfully_.” Smirking, Klug brushed the edge of a cyan-colored plume with his thumb, wondering why the curious hair-like constructs seemed so much longer in his boyfriend's ‘other' form. The bug catcher still seemed to like having them touched, regardless.

_ Snugglebug_?? The ecstatic grin that slowly unfurled and bloomed on the half-soul's face would've melted all but the most hardened of hearts. Though he’d given out many, _ many _ semi-affectionate nicknames, it was so rare to get one in return. Pet names weren't really Klug's forte which made it feel all the more special.

“Mrrmm… hurts a lot? Must be hard,” Sig giggled, practically butting his head into his sweetheart's palm, “Bookworm's so strong…”

Not entirely sure he wasn't being made fun of but  less sure that he even cared, Klug chanced being just a  _ little _ forward, stealing a kiss from the smiling entomophile and chuckling, “I’m great enough to bear it, though, don't worry. I’ll live, somehow.”

“Aren’t just researching for a paper? Or a book?” Bright, contented eyes stared up at the academic, their owner almost seeming to purr. Clearly, Sig was ‘messing with him’ once again.

Klug shook his head, a soft snort escaping as he claimed innocence. "Usually you _ don't _ date the subject of study. I'll have to double-check the guidelines on that later to make sure, but..."

“On half-demon courtship?..” Wriggling up a little, he started to nuzzle his boyfriend’s neck again, warm air flowing over the skin each time he exhaled, “might have to…”

Heart beating just a _ little _ bit faster, the mage cleared his throat, trying to adjust the glasses he wasn’t actually _ wearing_. “W-well, in that case, maybe if the right paperwork were filed…”

“Hrmmm… filed it, didn’t ya?”

“Tsk! _ Sig_,” feigning a scowl, the bibliophile rolled his eyes, every word deliberately over-delivered to such extremes even an abject literalist like his friend wouldn’t be able to take it seriously, “you weren’t supposed to find out! Well, that's tainted the whole project so I may as well give up. Thanks for participating, you've been a great subject up until now but it's over. Time to go home, Sig."

Hair-tenne cocked at a racy angle as he shook his head, there was a hint of a playful growl as the bug catcher declined, "nah, caught a bookworm, still studying it. May take awhile."

"... Are you normally this friendly with the bugs you catch?" Klug raised an eyebrow, looking as pompous as possible given the circumstances, "or am I just an exceptionally great example of a bookworm?"

Presumedly pausing for thought, the half-soul 'hmm'ed and shifted a little bit, looking his ‘prey’ straight in the face. Taking several more seconds to study his ‘catch’, Sig admitted, "nah, just really neat ones. Aren't the _ greatest _ example of a bookworm, but pretty good."

"You really do have a vicious streak, don't you?" Feigning insult, he touched his nose to his flippant sweetheart’s, almost daring the boy to kiss him as he grumbled, "I demand to see this 'greater' bookworm. I need to know what I'm competing with."

Slipping a hand behind Klug’s neck, the mellow-voiced somnolist hummed, "mmn, sorry, can't. Might crush your spirit.” That said, he accepted the challenge and left his sarcastic companion momentarily breathless.

Once he was freed, the mage squinted at his incredibly self-satisfied keeper and muttered, "your thoughtless words already did that. Sig… are you sure you're only _ half _demon?"

"Wanna find out?"

"No. Food first, research later."

"Aww, Bunny... aren't any fun..."

An arrogant smirk, "what can I say? It's my forte."


	12. Confidant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, you just want someone to listen.

_ Just how hungry could he possibly be?! _ Head propped up on his palms, Klug watched, fascinated as the demi-demon inflicted considerable damage on a pre-cooked roast. Normally, it would’ve sufficed for a good two meals with a guest, five if he ate alone. Still, if Sig needed protein, it was well worth the sacrifice. Better that than finding his own hand being chewed on.

It wasn’t truly _ that _ interesting, in all honesty, but it kept the mage from thinking about, well, _ everything else_. The ‘black’ form, and how the bug catcher was supposed to cope with it. Aya’s offer to help, in exchange for ‘mobility’. The least pressing, but most immediate concern was Sig’s acceptance of _ him_.

They were boyfriends now. Still… what exactly did that _ mean, _ especially to his companion? He’d spent such a long time pining after the cyan-haired individual that he’d never given much thought to what would happen if, against all odds, Sig actually _ accepted_. Well, apart from hanging out, which they already did, but outside of that and the snuggling they’d already done… it was a huge blank. A great unknown that he knew _ nothing _ about. That’s what research was for, he supposed.

Pausing between mouthfuls, said boyfriend piped up, ‘tenne giving a curious wiggle, “um, Bunny? Klug? Doing okay?..”

“H-Hm? Oh, it’s nothing specific. I’m just… thinking. You know?” Better not to ply while his sleepy-eyed sweetheart was eating, he figured. Getting his questions answered wasn’t as important as the half-soul’s well-being.

“Sorta..? About what?” Curious, he speared another forkful of meat, watching Klug as he chewed. If something was bothering the mage, he really _ did _ want to know. Otherwise, he’d have to guess, and he… wasn’t the best at guessing.

“A little bit of everything,” the mage admitted, opting for the most harmless thing he could think of, “for example, how adorable you look in that nightshirt.”

“Not _ that _ adorable, Klug,” Sig murmured, a hint of a smile on his face. Still, the idea did make him happy.

_ Stella lucet, is he blushing? _ Either way, the bug catcher looked _ incredibly _ cute, dressed in loaner nightwear following a much-needed bath. Klug opted for the loosest top he could find, not wanting to constrict his friend’s arm, so it hung a little low around the shoulders. Sig’s own clothes just… wouldn’t have worked. The jacket had been singed by the miscalculated spell, though the pants would survive after a visit to the laundry.

“Sorry, but I’m not changing my mind. Agree to disagree, then?”

“Kay. Another example? Still wanna know…” Returning to his meal, he looked at the emerald-eyed mage and listened expectantly as he chewed. 

Okay, fine, what was the _ second _ most harmless thing on his mind? “I… well, I am curious how you feel, and if there's anything else I can do to help.”

“Hrmm,” he paused again, mid-chew, then shook his head softly, “nmm mm.”

“If you think of something, please, _ please _ don't hesitate to ask. I can’t imagine how rough this whole experience has been on you…”

“... Klug,” placing the fork down, Sig looked down at his hands, both fingers and claws interlaced, “thanks.”

“N-no need, I-”

“_No_.” Firmly, the half-soul stopped him, and continued, “would’ve been so much harder. Might’ve… died. Or panicked. Or hurt someone. Or-”

“But you didn’t. _ You_, Sig. I was just… well, there. You’re stronger than I am. Your will, I mean. You’re… well, I guess you’re physically stronger too.” Head propped up on his hands, the mage looked at Sig with genuine admiration. “You really are special, you know that?”

The plumes perked up at that word. ‘Special’ meant… well, it meant a lot to him, much more than his friend could know. Maybe he’d tell Klug sometime. For now, though, he sat still, a warm feeling settling in his chest. “Not the only one.”

“Like I said,” he softly contested, looking across the table at the entomophile, “I just happened to _ be _ there. I was a distraction at best…”

“Yah. Made it harder to worry. _ Much _ harder.” Sig extended an open, reddish-colored palm, “weird time to confess.”

“I’m… pretty good at doing things like that, aren’t I? While I’m ecstatic you accepted, I’m happier that you’re back to normal,” with a sigh and a smirk, his green cat’s eyes stared at the half-soul, “you still looked amazing last night, in my opinion. Not ‘scary’ at all.”

“Klug… you were scared. Pretty obvious.”

“Nonsense. You were still _ you, _ after all_. _”

“Situation did, though. Could’ve run from it, from, um, everything.” Softly, he added, “would’ve understood if you did. Staying… makes you a _ little _ ‘special’, at least. ‘Kay?”

Still not confident that his actions merited praise, the academic nodded a little and accepted. It wouldn’t hurt, surely, and it seemed to make Sig happier.

Hesitantly, the somnolist started talking again with an unusually staggered cadance. “Power was just so… _ weird _. Didn’t feel connected, kinda lightheaded. Wouldn’t have been as bad if it hurt, but… felt nice, ‘least ‘til the spell misfired. Creepy...”

“It felt… unusual, yes. But it wasn’t sinister or anything, just intense. Sig, you know me,” sighing, he started prodding the table for no real reason, “I’m interested in the dark arts, but it’s not _ evil _ by nature. Neither are demons, I think. _Or_ their power.”

_ Twitch_. The heterochromatic eyes seemed to narrow almost imperceptibly, staring a hole right between the academic’s.

Suddenly feeling put on the spot, Klug shifted a little, afraid he’d said something wrong, something offensive. He tried to break the odd silence, asking, “Sig, are you alright? If I said something out of place, I’m…”

The half-soul’s chair slid away from the table, and as he stood, he maintained the oddly intense gaze.

“Sig..?”

Moving to stand next to the still-seated mage, Sig didn’t say anything, seeming to loom over him, making the scholar feel so tiny. _ Insignificant. _ Not frightened, per se, but uneasy. He just… waited. Waited for the bug lover to make a move.

Barely visible beads formed at the corners of the cyan-haired youth’s eyes and he started to sniffle. Unable to help it, tears fell as he bent a little, wrapping his arms around Klug’s shoulders and trying to hug him without strangling him.

_ What… what happened? _ Confused, the academic hesitantly returned the embrace, not wanting to make things worse, but-

“_B-Bunny _ ~!” His voice taking on an uncharacteristic quaver, Sig buried his face in the mage’s neck, seeking solace, comfort. “W-was so _ scared_. D-didn’t wanna hurt you, but didn’t wanna be alone…”

“It’s… it’s okay, Sig. It’s over, and you didn’t hurt me. You’re not alone, alright? You have Ami, too.” Comforting people wasn’t Klug’s specialty, but he was hopeful that he was becoming better with practice. At the very least, he meant what he said. “You going to be okay, Snugglebug?”

Sniffling, the sad-eyed somnolist nodded, still hiding in the mage’s hair, “y-yeah, just… can’t help it. Don’t like being scared. Not… not used to it.”

“I… I don’t think _ anyone _ gets used to fear, not real fear.” Entirely serious, he hugged his new boyfriend, trying to offer what he hoped was reassurance, giving the bug catcher the tiniest of tiny nudges with his cheek. He could’ve tried telling Sig not to cry, but sometimes… sometimes you just _ had _ to. It hurt anyone watching, usually gave the crier a headache, but the sense of release it could provide made it worthwhile.

“Sorry, g-getting your shoulder wet…”

“It’ll dry, don’t worry about it. If you need to, it’s alright.”

Through the tears, the demi-demon smiled briefly, not even trying to hold back.


	13. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Staring at the ceiling, wondering...

_ Worried_. Sig couldn’t help it. Since he’d single-handedly decimated most of the fresh foods in Klug’s larder, it was kind of his fault that his friend had to leave and pick up a few things. He’d… been left behind.

He wasn’t _ helpless _ anymore, but he still felt shaky and drained, needing something to lean on every so often. Klug tried, but supporting most of his mass was asking too much from the lankier mage: this whole incident hadn’t been a vacation for his friend, either. With a frustrated grumble, he closed his eyes. Had Klug even eaten anything recently? He didn’t _ think _ so. That was no good… no good at all.

His ‘transition’ or whatever it was had been brutal and he’d spent the better part of the day either asleep or in a twilight state he couldn’t recall much of. His memory only became somewhat reliable when he’d woken up to Klug babbling about ‘a dress’ with tears in his eyes. _ Still not sure what he meant, _ but it wasn’t worth worrying over. Neither of them were bothered over it anymore, so putting it aside was fine.

With the mage gone and nothing much to do, all he’d had on his agenda was satisfying any odd craving struck him. A few odd vegetables and half a loaf of bread took care of that without difficulty. He was sick of feeling like he was starving, but for now the hunger had subsided, just leaving him to entertain himself.

Flopped onto the sofa, he stared at the ceiling as he lay on his back, still a little frustrated that he was _ here _ instead of, well, _ out_. What he really wanted was to go home, check on a couple hibernating beetles he’d been looking after and, most importantly, make sure his ladybug was fed and content. Parts of last evening were a bit of a blur, and he wasn’t one-hundred percent sure that Vi had gotten her evening snack. It wouldn’t have been a concern if he’d been sure of making it home around noon. As it was, Sig wasn’t certain. 

At least the lapin-esque book lover had promised to feed Vi. Though Klug sometimes failed to tell the _ entire _ truth, his word was reliable. He’d seen the milkweed plant Sig kept indoors to raise aphids on (then avoided it like the tiny insects had the plague). Finding a leaf with a few dozen eggs and no actively crawling bugs wouldn’t be _ too _ hard. That way, the skittish celestial mage wouldn’t need to touch anything moving. It would be easier for him and the beetle certainly wouldn’t mind. Eggs… were actually Vi’s favorite.

Rolling onto his stomach, Sig let an arm dangle off the side of the sofa, fingers brushing the carpeted floor beneath. _ So bored,_ he moped, though at least he felt good enough _ to _ mope. Apparently, earlier he’d been so exhausted that both of his arms had refused to work, but he didn’t recall. There was _ something _ about incredibly sweet tea, so sweet that the shred of memory made his teeth ache. Everything surrounding that fragment was simply _ gone_. It was different than forgetting something because it was dull or irrelevant or because he’d just zoned out and started thinking about other things.

His memories of last night were in better shape, at least. Not _ entirely _ intact, but almost everything. Maybe. Well, at least until the whole ‘biting’ thing. Parts of that were entirely absent. He knew how satisfying it felt but not why he’d done it in the first place. _ Frustrating_, but there was nothing to be done about it. Either the fragments would fill back in later on their own or remain missing.

… Thinking about it, the bug catcher wondered if it would leave a bruise on his sweetheart’s shoulder. He couldn’t remember _ seeing _ one, but at least his boyfriend’s choice of wardrobe would easily cover it if there _ was _ one. There was no _ way _ Klug would want to show that sort of thing off. Actually… didn’t the mage…? Now curious, he craned his neck, trying to peer down the hole of the roomy nightshirt to take a look. Nothing. Odd, it had seemed pretty hard at the time. Maybe it had faded already, if there had been one at all.

He hadn’t thought about how the celestial mage would feel about, well, anybody _ knowing _ about them. Still, Bunny’s family always sounded strange. _ Restrictive_. Even if he was fine acknowledging them as a couple, how did Klug feel about displays of affection in public? The somnolist himself didn’t care, he’d be happy hugging his bookworm wherever. He’d have to ask about everything later. _ Ugh_, it all seemed so _ complicated_. He _ hated _ complicated.

Unraveling complex things was sometimes necessary even if he loathed doing it. Getting petals off of winter-blooming springflowers was a huge hassle but they were _ so _ good for fevers. The ‘spring’ came from the way their leafy stems wrapped around the tiny nival blooms, keeping snow from contacting the vulnerable buds. Getting through that protection was difficult, since the inert leaves came off as readily as the petals. Sorting one of the tiny objects from the other required a sewing pin, so it was easier to keep them from getting mixed together in the first place. A pain, but doable with careful snipping. One badly placed clip, though, and the whole plant would drop. Hello, leaf-petal sorting.

Complicated _ could _ be worth it. In his opinion, easily Klug qualified. Cut through the mage’s defenses, untangle a few doubts, wait out the stammered indecision, maybe give him a nudge of encouragement… and there was a seriously sweet guy inside. Klug had spent most of his day so far just making sure the demi-demon was recovering comfortably instead of ditching him at the local clinic to be prodded at like the curiosity that he was. Being dragged there if he’d been in real trouble would’ve been okay, but they weren't exactly experts in dealing with… well… issues relating to his lineage.

Sig rolled back up onto the couch cushions, laying on his side and staring at his over-large hand. He _ still _ had trouble accepting his partially demonic origins even though it was an undeniable truth, a part of him that couldn't be shoved aside and forgotten no matter how much he wanted to. Now, especially, that he was faced with the whole transformation… _thing_. At least he had help, help that wasn't scared of how he looked or how dangerous his new form felt. He didn't want to keep thinking about it. He wanted a distraction, someone to talk to.

Stuck here, in Klug's home, there _ was _ someon-err, some _ thing _ that qualified.


	14. What?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are you not entertained?!

A quiet rapping came from outside the thick, wooden door of Klug's bedroom, making Ayashii’s points prick upward like the ears of a cat. Since the idiotic human never bothered to knock, that left a single possibility… that, and the kid gave off a distinct magical aura that the book-bound soul couldn’t mistake for any other. Pausing from its errant scribbling on a notepad clutched in its semi-corporeal hands, it looked up, giving a small, perfunctory, “yo’. What's up? I figured you'd be busy with… _ stuff.” _

Barely peeking into the doorway, Sig’s curious hair-like plumes twitched as he mumbled, “don't mind? Bu-err, _ Klug _ left, just kinda bored, so…”

“I’m not a tool to alleviate your boredom, y’ know, but whatever,” the spectral entity scowled momentarily, but didn't stay mad as it sighed, “so he’s _ already _ abandoned you, eh? That’s got to be rough…”

“Nah, had to, umm, _ restock_. Kinda ate a lot. Promised to check on Vi, too…”

“Vi? What, your little bug friend? Hey, make yourself useful for a sec and get me something from out of the bookcase.”

“Mmhm, ladybug,” the bug catcher confirmed, ambling over to the impressively long looking shelves. _ So many_, he gawped, _ has Bunny read _ ** _all_ ** _ these? _

“First row, fourth shelf. It’s a kinda faded green-ish blue, gold leaf on its spine. Just watch the claws, kiddo, it’s _ really _ old.”

“Turquoise? Says ‘Myths of…’ um, _ something? _” The last word was unfamiliar, something he didn't know how to pronounce. Like he was picking up a day-old kitten, he used his fingers to move the ancient text into his overlarge palm, not taking any chances on dropping it as he carried it to the desk.

“Of this area, yeah. Wait, so _ you _ can read old Arcish?” _ Or, I guess your soul can. _ Becoming flustered, Aya dropped the subject unceremoniously, “so, _ you _ seem t’ be doing better. Rough time, eh?”

“Better, yeah. Still kinda tired, though.”

“Hey, I’m gonna regret asking, but,” edges prickling a little, but not from anger this time, Aya asked as gently as it could, “how… how did _ Klug _ distract you?..”

“Didn’t tell you?” It seemed odd, since the ribbon-like soul usually served as the celestial mage’s constant companion and confidant. _ Didn’t have time_, he surmised guiltily, _ kinda kept him busy. _

“If he did I wouldn't be asking. C’mon, we’re… _ sort of _ friends?..” It didn't like begging, but information demanded it, sometimes.

“Talked, mostly,” the half-soul scooted up onto Klug’s bed, kicking his feet a little as he smiled, “said he loves me…”

Fighting down a wave of revulsion, the crimson pest tried to pursue the thread, its sick sense of curiosity demanding satisfaction. “And..._ and_?”

“Just sorta snuggled…”

“‘Snuggled’ isn't very specific. _ Sig_, what… what did he make you do?” The carmine spirit was becoming increasingly agitated, sounding almost… worried. While its descendant was a hybrid, a _ mongrel_, Sig was technically in possession of part of itself, so that practically made the kid Aya’s possession, by proxy.

Was it feeling _ protective _ of the bizarre little half-blood? Or, was it just the idea of having what it thought of as its vessel, its _ other half _ being in the hands of someone else, especially since it was _ that _ someone. Ugh, it was enough to give a non-corporeal entity a headache...

Sig just stared at it, puzzled and idly kicking his dangling feet. Softly, he murmured, “didn't _ make _ me…”

“THEN WHY DID YOU BITE HIM?!” Ayashii snapped, seeming to grow larger as its outline became jagged and spiky. It didn't stay that way for long, huffing like it was winded despite having no lungs. Piteously, it whined, “_please _ don’t tell me you actually _ like _ him..!”

Not even flinching, Sig blinked, then glanced off to the side, clawed fingers poking at the bedspread. He didn't feel the need to justify how he felt, though the shrieky red thing apparently knew something about _ why _ he’d been compelled to. “You don’t like Klug?..”

“That’s..! He’s… I don’t _ hate _ him,” it begrudgingly admitted, the closest it could come to saying that it liked having the mage around, that he was useful an-

“You don't like… me?” The tufts on the half-breed’s head dipped slightly, even if his expression didn't change much. A more skilled party would pick up on tension around his eyes, a slight clamping of his jaw. But, Aya never paid that much attention.

“I don't hate _ you _either. Neither… neither of you are bad kids, okay? It’s… just WHY did it have to be him?! He’s my former host, and you’re, well, YOU…“

“... Don’t understand…”

Better that he didn't, better that _ no one _ knew about the little red soul’s possessive streak. Though, _ some _ of it could be defensible. The blue soul _ still _ refused to talk to him… that is, if it could communicate at all. Aya didn't really know how capable its counterpart was. Sig himself had _ some _ free will, at least, but seemed very open to suggestion. _ Too _ open, in its opinion.

“It just feels weird, okay? But, are you really FINE with this? He can be pushy sometimes, an-”

_ Oh_. So _ that’s _ part of why the book-demon was being so odd. “Ayashii, it’s okay. Kinda… the other way ‘round. Um,” a little quieter, he started poking his fingers together, “kinda kissed him, first.”

“... Klug didn’t force you into anything?”

“No..? Liked him for awhile,” he purred, flopping over on the bedspread with a soft smile on his face, “thought of asking, but he’s so nervous…”

“You have _ no _ idea, kiddo. You don’t have to _ live _ with him.”

“Might be less tense now…”

“Pffft!” Snickering, the little red spectre shook its head in disbelief, “yeah, not gonna happen. He’ll just find something _ else _ to worry about. It’s what he _ does_, kid.“

“Hey, curious…”

“Yeah?”

Dragging a pillow over to prop himself up on, the bug catcher watched the demon’s soul intently as he asked, “seem upset about the, um, bite. Why?”

“I’m not _ mad_, I’m just… frustrated. Of anyone, why _ him_? Anyway, that's just not somethin’ you do on a whim, kiddo. What were you _ thinking_?!”

“Don’t know, can’t remember,” he admitted, a warm quality in his tone as he sank into the soft squishiness, “felt nice, though…”

Nice was a severe understatement. The word couldn’t describe the sense of satisfaction, of _ happiness _ he’d felt in the moments before the panic spoiled it. _ So, so warm_, he reminisced, burying his face in the overstuffed pillow.

Its corners twitching, Ayashii didn’t seem terribly impressed _ or _ surprised. Curtly, it huffed, “well, yeah, it’s _ supposed _ to feel that way. Otherwise _ why _ advertise ‘this idiot’s mine’ to other demons? It’s… kind of a bonding thing, okay? Ugh.” It thought better of it _ not _ to frame it as an ownership thing to someone so, well, _ soft_.

… Though, why did Aya even_ care? _

“Oh, so you see it?” Sig accepted the explanation fully, peering out from behind the fabric.

“_Feel _ it, yeah. It’s not as strong as I remember ‘em being, but that was… that was a long time ago.”

Still curled around the pillow, the somnolist extended both of his hands; one, a perfectly normal human one, the other covered in coarse reddish skin and tipped in claws. “Probably why…”

‘A long time ago’, someone like Sig and his progenitors would’ve been exiled at the very least. Having spent time around the boy… well, he was _ mostly _ harmless, barring a surge-related loss of control. It almost made the book-bound soul sad, curious about some of those that _ had _ been exiled, never to be seen again. Some of those, which Aya had known. At the time, it felt like a betrayal, a-

“Ayashii? Doing okay?..” Hands tucked back around the pillow, Sig lay on his side, a mild look of concern in his heterochromatic eyes. He’d noticed the spirit’s silence, a silence that was out of the ordinary.

“Yeah, yeah, or as good as I _ can _ be, trapped in this thing,” Aya tapped the Record of Sealing and shrugged, deflecting. This wasn’t the time, if there would ever _ be _ a time. Even admitting that it still _ had _ the ability to feel, let alone empathize… it was a liability, a liability it had no desire to embrace.

Unconvinced, but nodding anyway, the entomophile replaced the pillow, still a little misshapen from being hugged. “Hey, Aya?..”

_ What NOW?! _ Starting to grit its non-existent teeth, it prickled. Klug’s little boyfriend was starting to become a genuine nuisance, a real pai-

“Thanks for talking. Felt nice.”

It ‘blinked’ as its fledgling rage returned to the nest, staring for a second before it replied, “um, yeah, just don’t expect me to entertain you ALL the time, okay? I have stuff to do, you know?” As proof, it hoisted up its notepad, covered in semi-legible scribbling understood only to itself.

“‘Kay. Need another book?” Sig didn’t mind if it did want something, feeling better for the conversation.

“Nah, shoo. I’ve got what I need. OH!” It exclaimed, almost dropping a pencil it clutched in its tiny hands, “if y’ could get the crossword book I was working on from downstairs, then we’d be square for the whole ‘having to entertain you’ thing…”

“Blue one?..”

“NO! That one’s almost done. The new one’s yellow…”

Eager not to live in the ribbon-like entity’s debt, Sig made his way downstairs to retrieve the book, a smile on his face. _ Think Aya seems happier, too_...


	15. Sappy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just let them have this, okay?

“Hey, Sig?..”

No answer, save a soft, steady droning.

“Come on,” the mage’s eyes clouded with disappointment as he sighed, ruffling the sleepybug’s hair, “I really hoped you’d be awake…”

A gentle swat with his claws as Sig mumbled something, rolling over on the couch cushions. Apparently, he intended to keep dreaming about… well, whatever it was that insect-obsessed half-demons in a new relationship dreamt of.

“Fine, fine!” Klug half-grinned, half-grimaced as he waved a paper sack about a foot away from his dozy boyfriend's face. “I suppose I’ll have to find someone _ else _ to share these melon buns with…”

Sig’s nose twitched, a teeny runner of drool escaping from the corner of his mouth. _ Something _ smelled good, something outside his dream. Struggling to scrabble awake, he shivered a little, one eye slowly cracking open. “Ah,” he yawned, a pleasant smile on his face, “Kururu… hi…”

“Mmhmm, hi yourself,” the mage grinned, giving the dozy goofball a peck on the cheek before dropping the bakery bag on his friend's stomach. “Normally I’d make them myself, but it's been a tiring day already… just don’t eat all of them, alright?”

Humming warmly in response, the bug hunter set the bag on the coffee table, wanting a little more time to wake up. “Everything okay?..”

“Apart from some unexplained stares, yes,” the mage mumbled, setting a couple of grocery bags aside. It had been concerning, but he hadn't been able to pinpoint a cause. There was _ something _ he suspected he’d forgotten, something important. Still, if he couldn't recall, he couldn't recall. “And you? Again, sorry it took so long…”

“Good,” he purred, hugging Klug around the waist as he sat up on the couch, “missed you.”

A predictable answer, but one that still made the scholar’s expression soften anyway, fingers ruffling his sweetheart's hair. “Yeah, missed you, too. Sorry you couldn't come with…”

Stretching as he stood up, Sig’s chest rumbled as he drew the stuttery mage close. Breathing deeply, his hair-tenne perked up unexpectedly. Apart from his sweetheart’s normal scent and that of the baked treats, there was another he’d picked up, one that made him so, _ so _ happy; milkweed sap. Klug _ hadn’t _ lied, hadn’t been too much of a coward to look after his ladybug. Softly, he crooned, nuzzling his friend’s shoulder, “thanks, Bunny, thanks for feeding Vi. So sweet…”

“Aah! S-Sig, let go! It’s okay, just let go!”

Doing as requested, Sig tilted his head, a slightly hurt look in his eyes as his hands dropped. Wordlessly, he watched his boyfriend take off the borrowed satchel, undoing the strap with the utmost care. Going to reach inside, Klug hesitated, sliding the bag closer to Sig. “M-maybe it’s better if you do it. My hands’re kinda shaky, and…”

_ Still _ confused, the bug catcher flicked open the clasp and reached in, fingers grazing something unmistakable. Slowly, he pulled out a very familiar carrier with a _ very _ familiar beetle inside, calmly and contentedly munching on greenish-white aphid eggs. Placing it carefully in the center of the coffee table, Sig finally took a breath, staring in amazement at the nervously vibrating mage. _ That’s why he’s so wound up… _

Uncomfortable with the silence, Klug started babbling. “She’s, ah, kind of why I took so long. A-apparently Vi wanted to be out, so she didn’t want to crawl off of my hand, and… well, I had to wait…”

_ More _ staring.

“S-she’s fine, really! I didn’t poke her or anyth-” Desperate to placate the half-soul, he kept prattling until he was cut off.

“Mhmm, know you didn’t,” Sig nodded softly, his attention divided between watching the beetle and the squirming bookworm, “Klug, didn’t expect…”

“It’s n-not the first time I’ve held her, you know. And… I thought you’d feel better if you had her with you. I brought fresh clothes, too.” Rubbing his sleeve, the scholar murmured, “I kind of figured you’d take her out already, though…”

Shaking his head, the somnolist’s eyes rested on Klug, pure adoration in his eyes. “Better to wait. Seems hungry, so…”

“So..?”

“Probably hungry, too, huh Klug?”

“W-well, I suppose…”

Sig dropped to his knees in front of the coffee table, patting a section of floor beside himself. “Good place to share buns…”

Really, the academic _ should _ take care of the groceries, but… sitting out for a while wouldn't hurt anything. Taking the proffered spot beside his boyfriend, Klug snagged the paper bag and set it on his lap, rustling around for one of two meat buns therein. _ Stars_, he really _ was _ ravenous, shamelessly wolfing down the slightly cooled pastry.

Leaning into his companion, Sig expertly extracted one of the fruit buns, utterly content at this moment. Chewing on the sweet-filled bun, watching Vi scuttling up a branch as he sat beside his bookworm… this felt good.

It’d be okay.

Everything would work out, eventually.


	16. Ray of Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who else could it be?

Waiting.

Waiting, waiting, _ waiting… _

Was this how it felt to slowly go mad? Klug had sincerely hoped his friend would stay awake for at least a _ little _ while. He was figuratively _ dying _ to talk to Sig, curious about, well, pretty much _ everything_. Even discussing where each of them stood on this whole ‘relationship' hadn’t been possible, as after lunch the silly entomophile had immediately gone catatonic both in his lap and _ on the floor. _Yes, the bug catcher was near-legendary for dropping off at inopportune times under normal circumstances and these were nowhere near typical.

_ Poor guy_, he fretted miserably, brushing his boyfriend's aquamarine bangs to the side, _ feeling so weak… it _ ** _has_ ** _ to be weird for you. _

Klug and weakness were familiar bedfellows. Colds were met with a stubborn insistence that he was ‘fine’ and a complete refusal to accept reality. It brought out his obstinate side, the one that lashed out to drive people away in a vain attempt to keep his vulnerability a secret. It _ never _ worked, instead just making his problems more obvious. It was the same for injuries, too. He’d hiss like a wounded animal, slinking off to figuratively lick his wounds in private, only reemerging if it was too serious to cope with.

Sig… didn't seem to have pride to wound. He’d just accepted the academic's help, full stop. Not _ once _ had he tried to push Klug away, insisting that he was okay _ now_, that he didn’t need his friend to look after him anymore. Instead, he was half-curled up on the floor, head and shoulders in Klug's lap with a blissful expression on those kissable lips of his.

Was… was this really okay? Originally, all the scholar had wanted to do was ease his strange-looking sweetheart’s fears (and possibly outdo his idol in the process). Fostering his crush wasn’t intentional, nor was developing deeper feelings for the good-natured demi-demon. As much scholastic success and mastery of the arcane he possessed, his knowledge on matters of the heart, of romance and relationship dynamics in general was… negligible. When it came down to brass tacks, what did he even _ have _ to offer?

… _ Stop thinking that! _ Mentally slapping himself, his weary sigh seemed to echo in the largely empty house. If Sig wanted to be with him and he wanted to be with Sig, a lack of expertise wasn’t important! It could be one of those learning experiences, like an internship or… _ stars, _ was that _ really _the best comparison he could come up with?!

That wasn't even getting into the _ big _ problem, the issue of the maturing partial demon’s future ‘power surges’. How… how could _ anyone _ bring something like that up gently? It was hard enough getting factual literature about demons in general, let alone instructions for counseling those going through such a major transition. His best source of information was a devious little body snatcher whose motivations were shady at best.

_ It's not fair_, Klug gritted his teeth, breath hissing through as he sighed, _ Sig shouldn’t have to _ ** _deal_ ** _ with any of this! _

Though… at least Sig didn't have to deal with it alone. He had, well, _ friends. _

“Leg asleep?”

A soft voice broke Klug’s concentration, startling the mage, back pressed flat against the sofa. Readjusting his glasses, he cleared his throat to buy time to compose himself. “N-no, why would you-?”

“Looked pained,” the bug catcher shifted his head, resting the entirety on one of his friend’s thighs as he stared upwards, “doing okay?”

Snorting dismissively through his nose, the scholar ruffled his boyfriend’s hair and smirked, “I’m fine, I’m fine! That’s what I should be asking you, anyway. Had a pleasant rest?”

With a half-nod, half-yawn, Sig continued looking up from his odd angle. From here, the mage’s normally smallish nose looked, well, _ huge_, not tha-

A rapping at the door tore the tender moment to shreds, making _ both _ jump in their own way. Klug, literally, and Sig’s fists closing around open air before he scrabbled to sit up.

Giving his sweetheart an apologetic hug, Klug got to his feet to investigate. He hadn’t expected anyone and being interrupted… well, it was _ irritating_. Cracking the door ajar, a scowl on his face, he hissed, “can I _ help _ y-”

“_OMIGOSH OMIGOSH I’M _ ** _SUPER_ ** _ GLAD TO SEE YOU!!” _ Practically bursting through the door, Amitie wrapped the sour-faced academic in a boa constrictor-eque hug, eyes squinched shut as she almost bawled, “NOBODY KNEW WH-”

“INDOOR voice, indoor!” Klug _ had _ to yell just to get a word in edgewise.

“O-oh! Sure, yeah, I guess it is indoors now. Anyway you and Sig were missing _ without having excuses _ and I didn’t find Sig at his house an- oh! Si~ig! Hi!” Train of thought effectively derailed, she waved spastically with a cheerful grin in her friend’s general direction, one arm still trapping the celestial mage.

“Hi,” Sig waved back from his spot on the floor, a mellow smile on his face. “Sorry, Ami.”

_ Excuses? _ The scholar blinked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. That ‘important’ thing he’d felt he’d forgotten, the odd looks when he’d been shopping… oh _ stars_, it had been a school day. If it had been excused, that was one thing, but… this wasn’t... 

Amitie… blinked, and let Klug go, looking between both of her friends, an eyebrow slowly raising as she tried to piece together the most likely scenario. The mage, in casual-wear. The bug catcher, in night clothes that obviously didn’t fit. Both, absent from classes. Smacking her open palm with her fist, it finally struck her. “I’ve got it! Klug’s descending into a life of truancy after snapping and needed a partner for some kind of delinquency syndicate! I WANT IN!”

Klug… wasn’t in a state to respond, just leaning against the closed front door and looking faint.

Helpfully, Sig offered a succinct but vague explanation. “Nah. Didn’t feel well. Klug was helping.”

“_Aww_. Having a syndicate would’a been way funner!” Flopping onto the couch, the bubbly lass propped her head on her hands, curiously staring at her bestie. “So you’re feeling a little better? You still look _ kinda _ off…”

Fringe bobbing with his small nod, he leaned back into the plushy front of the sofa. “Not better, but less bad. Um,” seeming to shy away, he mumbled, “don’t wanna talk about it right now. Later, okay?”

With a barely perceptible twinge, Amitie nodded, her worry almost becoming visible as she covered with a laugh. “Oh! That’s… yeah, that’s okay, I _ totally _ get it. You, um, already seem to have all the help you need, s-”

Suddenly, the sleepy-eyed bug catcher caught the blonde ‘round the neck with his arms, pulling her into a gentle hug. He seemed more serious than usual as he softly said, “Ami, _ still _ my best friend. Just… had a tough night…”

It still stung that her bestie hadn’t come to her. Sig still spent time with her outside of classes but more and more often he’d chose to hang out with Klug, or at least insist on dragging their timepiece-wearing peer with him. She hadn’t really minded at first, but it had become a minor but constant thought that tugged at her heartstrings. Now wasn’t the time to bring it up. Sig, well, Sig looked _ tired_, little creases in the corners of his eyes she’d never seen there before. Frankly, it kind of scared her.

There was something _ else _ in his face though, too. Someone more experienced would’ve recognized it as the glow of the newly in love, but Amitie could at _ least _ tell her buddy was happy about something. Hugging her friend back, she whispered conspiratorially in his ear, “gonna tell me what _ good _ thing happened, at least?”

“Hm?” The hair-like plumes pricking up momentarily, he blinked a few times, a shy look in his eyes as he murmured, “um, super-early, so don’t share, but… Klug confessed.”

“S-seriously?! _ He _ did? Woah.” Mouth practically hanging open, the effervescent girl was shocked into a momentary silence. She’d known about her friend’s crush, of course, but to have _ Klug _ make a move? It was hard to imagine someone so easily moved to tears by, well, _ anything _ not going precisely to plan bringing up something like _ that_. Still lurking over her friend’s shoulder, Ami gently prodded, “so? _ So? _ What’d you say, what’d you say?!”

Sig seemed puzzled. The answer seemed obvious enough that it need not be asked, but he still obliged, “um, said yes?..”

The vicarious happiness from her bestie’s affections _ finally _ being returned overrode her fears of being replaced, at least for now. She squealed giddily, hugging her friend once again. “Later you _ have _ to tell me _ all _ of the details! Every lil’ bit, okay?!”

_ All?! _ Squirming, the half-demon’s face flushed, unsure of how he felt about sharing quite, well, _ everything_. At least Ami wasn’t demanding he dish _ now_. And… just where was his boyfriend, anyway? _ Ah. _Having a quiet breakdown by the door, it looked like. “U-um, Klug? You okay?”

In a partial daze, the voice brought him partially back to reality. His entire body shuddered as he sighed, the drained tension leaving him strangely limp and he shuffled over. Glancing between Sig on the floor and Amitie on the sofa, he rubbed at a sleeved forearm awkwardly, feeling like an intruder in his own home as soft hand encircled his wrist.

Small as it was, Sig’s smile managed to convey enough warmth to make the mage feel at ease. Well, as at ease as he _ could _ feel with company. Exhaling again, he slid in beside his boyfriend, still kicking himself for forgetting something so _ basic _ as the day of the week. If he’d just _ remembered_, he could’ve at least gotten a message through. Instead, they both had black marks _ and _ had left people worried. Glancing up at Amitie, there was genuine pain in his eyes as he apologized, “I... didn’t mean to make everyone worry about Sig. So much was going on, but I… I just forgot. Amitie, if you could forgive me…”

“Um, y’ know that we were worried about you, too, right?”

“...Pardon?”

“Oh yeah!” Amitie beamed, kicking her feet in the air a little as though her body demanded she move at least a _ tiny _ bit, even while relaxing. “Especially Lidelle! And, you know, me, too! That’s why I came here, silly!”

“Really?” Adjusting his glasses, Klug… well, it wasn’t an _ unpleasant _ surprise. Actively trying _ not _ to give his classmates as hard a time, trying not to be as bitter and condescending seemed to have made a difference. It didn’t ease the sense of shame building inside, dreading just what his parents would sa-

A weight on his shoulder broke his train of thought. Sig was just… looking at him, fingers still resting loosely on his wrist. Was there a hint of a smile in that otherwise neutral expression? With a rattling sigh, Klug tried to relax, sliding his hand into the demi-demon’s, squeezing gently as he exhaled. There had _ been _ a reason for the absence, an _ important _ one. There had to be _ some _ leniency for helping a fellow student, a _ friend_, out of a difficult situation, right? That had to be on the short list of acceptable circumstances. He’d never read it, as he had never intended on being truant in the first place.

“_Really _ really!” Blonde hair bouncing as she continued on obliviously, Amitie nearly fell off of the sofa as she carried on. “So, are you gonna need another day off, Sig? No offense, but you’re not _ quite _ as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as normal, y’ know?”

Not paying attention, the bug catcher’s ‘tenne flicked as he heard his name spoken. Sig… thought, putting mild pressure on his companion’s hand as he mulled the idea over. Today, he’d been in no shape to show up. Tomorrow… probably? Slowly, he raised his head up and shook it. “Oh. Um, no. Should be okay…”

“H-hey, you… you shouldn’t push yourself. If you need t-”

“_Klug,” _ the somnolist’s eyes softened as he smiled, pulling the mage’s hand so it rested atop his chest, “ _ should _ be okay. Won’t go if it’s too much, promise.”

_ Omigoshomigoshomigosh they’re for super-serious! A-a-are they gonna..?! _ Trying not to draw attention with a girlish squeal, Amitie’s eyes sparkled as she remained motionless. This _ had _ to be how it felt to be on a safari, when a lion leapt at a gazelle and asked it to prom or whatever it was that wild lions did she never really paid that much attention but that was totally okay an-

Nervous green eyes stared up at her. The ‘gazelle’, as it turned out, wasn’t as easily distracted as the girl had thought, caught up in the fear of being observed in his natural habitat. _ He _ didn’t know that Amitie knew, that she was even comfortable with the idea of him and her best friend being together. That’s why he let out a terrified, high-pitched shriek when Sig hugged him, nuzzling his cheek affectionately. “_S-S-SIIIIIIIG!!” _

“Hm?” Unfazed, the half-soul purred, snuggling all the more.

_ Yep, _ she grinned, _ just like a safari! _


	17. Tell Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're hiding something.

“Y-you could've said something _ before _ you did that!”

“Ami knew,” the bug catcher shrugged nonchalantly, failing to understand why the mage was _ still _ frantic over such a small display of affection, “_has _ known. Kinda asked her for advice…”

“Well _ I _ didn't! _ Stars, _ just how many people knew that you liked me before I did?! Half the class? _ Everyone in town?!” _ Klug's nervous energy seemed at risk of burning a hole in the floor with the amount of pacing he was doing, the groceries long since put away so he lacked anything else constructive to pour it into. Nearly breathless, he quailed, “how _ oblivious _ could I have possibly been?!”

“Two.” Each time the mage stepped within range of Sig’s place on the couch, he’d take a clumsy grab at the nervous bundle of energy with his claws. “C’mon, Bunny, wanna talk…”

“Alright, fine, two’s… less to be embarrassed over. But I’m _ still _ mortified that your _ best friend _heard me scream like a… a…” Stumbling verbally, he kept pacing. Back and forth, back and forth, trying to work through his frustrations.

“... A scared rabbit?”

“_YES! _ Like a frightened rab-_baaaht!!!” _He shrieked again, this time because Sig finally managed to snag his arm, dragging him unceremoniously over the arm of the couch. Bewildered, he lay there on his back, legs dangling over the armrest as his breath came in short, irritated huffs.

“Better.” Sighing, Sig sat on his knees and stared into his classmate's wide, panicked eyes. Just to be sure the academic wouldn't leave, he left his clawed hand on the boy’s chest, fingers splayed wide apart.

“I… I looked li-”

“Ami won’t tell, you _ know _ that. Klug,” he moved his head, the feathered cyan bangs shifting, “worried over something else, aren’t you?”

“W-what would make you think that?!”

“Did it earlier, too…”

“Tch! I… it’s… I mean…”

“Tell me.” Sig’s mismatched eyes bore into him, their owner wanting to know just what had been kept from him and wanting it _ right now. _

Trapped between a demi-demon and a soft place, Klug squirmed beneath the claws on his chest, a timid field mouse pinned by a bird of prey. He gulped down air, but it didn't seem to be having much of an effect as he continued to wheez-

_ Smack. _A soft kiss on his sweaty forehead as Sig took his hand back. He was _ free_.

“Klug… please. Just wanna know…” Hands clasped between his own thighs, he still looked down at the gasping mage, a flicker of worry in his eyes.

“_F-fine,” _ Klug rasped, one hand on his stomach while the other hung uselessly off the cushions, “I’m just… Ayashii said that… that you’ll probably change again, that it's… it's normal to until… well, until you learn how to control it.”

Sinking backwards onto the plush sofa, Sig’s response was merely a soft, “oh,” as he looked down at the hands clasped in his lap. He just… sat there. Either he was meditating on the matter or deeply disturbed. Both, maybe.

_ This is why I didn't want to say something! _ Groaning, Klug craned his head up, trying to see his boyfriend's face from his current position. “L-look, Aya might be wrong. Even if it _ does _happen, well, the first time’s supposed to be the worst. It shouldn't be as bad,” his smile seemed more like a wince as he tried to chatter optimistically, “and… and Aya offered to help, too, if yo-”

“Klug.” The interruption dropped in like a lead weight, breaking through the mage’s steady babbling. Slowly, he stroked his friend's chestnut bangs with a single carmine digit, mumbling, “sure you want this?”

“What?.. ah, want what?” It was the scholar’s turn to look lost, unsure just what the cryptic words meant.

“_This. _ Me. Just… _ everything. _ It’s… it’s a lot… _ complicated.” _ Sig kept brushing his companion’s hair, the repetitive motion all that was keeping him from falling apart right now. “Don't… don’t wanna make your life harder, Bunny.”

Was… what did he… ugh, it didn't matter. “_Sig_,” he grumbled, trying to glare from his awkward angle, “you know full well how _ stubborn _ this bookworm is. I refuse to just wriggle away because things get a little difficult. Understand?”

Sig… stopped petting his boyfriend's head, giving a small nod as he murmured, “kay…”

“You need a hug, yes?”

“Yah.”

Scuttling up beside Sig, the mage wrapped himself around the dejected-looking half-soul’s shoulders, his face nestling into his sweetheart’s neck. His words were a low hush as he said, “you’ll get through this. _ We’ll _ get through this. I… I promise, Sig.”

“Promise?” The demi-demon rolled the word around his mouth. It wasn't within Klug's power to promise something like that, yet… his green-eyed sweetheart could be surprising. Maybe it was okay to believe, at least for now.

“You trust me?”

“Mhm. Yeah. Klug... thank you.”

Snorting dismissively, the mage nuzzled the sleepy-looking youth's neck tenderly even as he scoffed, “not necessary. Besides, you’ve been there for me before. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't have your back?”

“Um, a bad one?..”

“Exactly! That's… that's kind of something I wanted to ask you about. Being boyfriends, I mean.”

“Huh? What’d you wanna ask about?”

“_Well,” _ Klug took a deep breath, trying to pick a single subject, but eventually settled on, “_everything_.”


	18. Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does love mean?

_ Everything? _ It… it was probably best just to nod and hope his nervous bookworm would keep talking. Sig wasn't worried that Klug had changed his mind, at least, so he waited patiently, hands resting over the forearms still draped over his chest. He had some questions of his own, and talking would be good. At least it was something to think about that _ wasn’t _ directly related to his non-human side. _ Hopefully, _ anyway.

“I’m… I'm not sure just _ how _ much affection you're, ah, _ comfortable _ with? I mean, last night, we… we kind of skipped some steps, you know? N-not that I _ mind, _ but… I’m a little lost.” It was something that had been weighing on the academic's mind _ all day_, and he badly wanted an answer, even if that answer proved disappointing.

“Skipped? Um, skipped what?” Curiously, Sig tried to peer at the mage draped around his shoulders, but couldn't crane his head far enough.

“W-well, you know.” Floundering, Klug was perfectly happy remaining in his companion’s blind spot, free to blush as much as he liked in secrecy. “U-usually it starts with, ah, like hand-holding, _ then _ hugging, and kissing after that.-”

_ Did too much, maybe? _ Sig, um… he _ had _ gotten a little carried away the night before. “_Oh. _Um, wanted less? Sorry, Klug, didn't mea-”

“_No!! _ N-no, it wasn't a _ problem. _It’s just… I don't want either of us to be uncomfortable, you know?” Grumbling softly, his fingers started to ball up as he tried to explain. “Like, I’m not sure if… if you're only interested in snuggling, or… if eventually you’d like more than that. I don't know how… how attracted you are, or in what way.”

“What... way?” Repeating the words, Sig mulled them around, trying to understand just what the bookworm was asking. Answering based off of a guess would just stress his companion, so he gave up. “Not… not sure what you mean.”

Groaning in the back of his throat, Klug slid off of the baffled entomophile’s back, curling up at his friend’s side instead. With a deep sigh of resignation, he took Sig’s overlarge red hand in both of his, thumbs resting in the open, clawed palm. Without speaking, he stared into the rough-textured redness, struggling to find the words he needed so desperately.

“W-well, I know that you do emotionally,” he fretted quietly, thumbs rubbing Sig_'s _palm as he tried to relax. It wasn't soft or particularly coarse, like fine-grit sandpaper without the dry abrasiveness. “And, I know that you like snuggling me-”

“_Love,” _ he interjected, kissing the academic’s forehead.

“-Okay, _ love _ snuggling, which if that’s all you want is _ fine_, I mean, but,” Klug swallowed, trying to keep the fluttering in his chest at a manageable level as he distractedly clutched the rough-hewn hand to his chest like a treasured childhood toy, something precious. “Could you, um, _ love _… me?”

“... Already do?”

“N-no, I mean, like…” Flustered, the mage’s breathing turned shallow and increasingly rapid. _ Why is this a problem for you?! _ Venomously, his mind spat, _ even if he says no you’ll accept it, so why?! _

“Bunny, _ Bunny, _” Sig purred, nudging his sweetheart’s head up just enough to set his cheek next to the frustrated celestial mage’s neck, “relax, okay? Take your time. Deep breaths…”

_ Breathing isn't going to fix this! _.. but, neither would passing out. Taking his friend's advice, the book lover’s breath rattled as he sighed and tried to clear his head. “I-I… I want to lie down, is… is that alright?..”

“Sure,” Sig chirped, leaning backwards and crossing his legs to provide a comfortable place for his classmate to rest. Once Klug was settled, he started to gently stroke the bespectacled one’s hair, fixing the wayward brown strands that strayed in front of and threatened to stick to the lens’s wire frames.

“...I ...I guess what I’m asking is,” he closed his eyes, trying to stave off the panic that threatened to shut him up again, “are you, ah… a-attracted to guys? Like, physically?”

The somnolist stayed silent for several moments, delicately running his clawed fingers through Klug's hair. The feel and texture was mostly lost on the odd limb, but sometimes there was a flicker of, well, _ something_, proof that the hand still belonged to him. “Kinda? Bodies are… just sorta there. Y’ know?”

“... Not really, no.”

“_You _ like guys?” A question, not an accusation.

“W-well, that is,” Klug cleared his throat, averting his eyes as his cheeks tinged with color, “there’re a-attractive qualities in everyone, alright? Just… aesthetically, you know?”

Sig shook his head, but didn't seem particularly bothered as he murmured, “don't really get it…”

Struck by a sudden wave of insecurity, the bookworm’s heart caught in his chest as he shrank, still allowing his companion to touch him, but obviously seemed bothered by the response. "I-is that so? Ah, I… w-well, at least you like me on an… an _ emotional _level.”

“Klug..? Y' look so sad. Still think you're cute.”

“... 'Cute'... I suppose that's b-better than nothing at all.”

_ "More _ 'n 'nothing'," Sig interjected as gently as he could, slipping his hands under his visibly troubled beau’s armpits and dragging him up into an awkward hug, "interested in what's in _ here _ more. Body's attached, though. So _ cute _ when you're snuggled... look so happy..."

“Gh-! Sh-Shig-gh~!” Klug spluttered, scooting backwards to take the pressure off of his diaphragm. Gasping, he leaned hard into his well-meaning but slightly clumsy boyfriend, trying to figure out just what the somnolist’s attempted explanation _ meant. _

_ Oops. _ Antenne flickering, he loosened his grip on his friend. He’d _ meant _ to make the poor thing feel more secure, not leave him floundering for air like a beached fish. Still, Klug didn’t seem to be _ hurt_, just… slightly squished. “U-um, sorry…”

Giving the half-demon a thumb’s up to indicate his general state, the mage coughed a little, settling into a more comfortable, more _ conventional _ sitting position. “Ggh… fine, I’m _ fine, _ no big deal. Just, ah, not the best angle. A-anyway… you… d-do you l-l-like it when, _ ah, _wh-wh-when-”

Klug seemed to have gotten stuck. So close, so _ damnedably close _ and he just… froze up, skipping like a broken record. _ Typical for you, isn’t it?.. _

“When you do it?” Sig piped up, trying to be helpful. He wasn’t sure whether his boyfriend’s malfunction was natural or a result of being squeezed like a tube of human toothpaste, after all.

The academic’s head snapped into a violent nod, his green eyes looking huge behind the glass lenses as he stared into the other’s face. _ Please, _ ** _please_ ** _ say yes..! _

“Mrmmhm,” warmly, the demi-demon started rubbing his cheek against Klug’s, exhaling a soft puff of hot air as he rumbled, “yeah, thought you’d have noticed…”

“... Ah! W-well, y-you know m-me…”

_ "Bunny," _the entomophile purred more intensely, his warm hands draped loosely over his catch's legs. He could feel some of his friend's nervous tension ease, light trembles subsiding little by little. "Wanna be close t' you. Feels nice…"

Heart catching in his throat, Klug let out a strained little croak in reply. _ Just… just calm down, you'll just worry him like this. _ In through the mouth, out through the nose. That was supposed to prevent hyperventilation, right? Three cycles later, the bookworm gave speaking another try. "I… i-it feels good to me, too. Being close to you is… well, it's _ comfortable. _ Even if it's this and… (and _ only _ this…)"

'Tenne wiggling in a curious sort of way, Sig chanced a light peck on his companion's neck, more warm breath flowing over the celestial mage's skin. "Doesn't have to be just this," he murmured, "wanna try more, just… _ slow?" _

"Y-you don't want to rush, in… in other words. Yeah, that sounds sensible. All of this is so _ new, _ s-so it's a bit, ah, _ daunting?" _ It felt especially daunting to Klug, never anticipating that he'd get more than a swift dismissal from the partial demon. Failure had been a foregone conclusion, whether Sig was interested in anyone else or not.

_ "Mmh, _real new. Never been a boyfriend before."

Barely audible, the dark-mage-in-training hoarsely sighed, “w-w-well, I’m… I’m glad that you’ll h-have me, at least…”

In an instant, the bug catcher froze in place apart from the blinking of eyes and his increasingly unsteady breathing. He mulled the words over, unsure of-

"S-S-Sig?"

-Admittedly, he did find the rabbity little mage appealing, especially when he got all flustered and stammer-y. This wasn't the _ time, _ though, and he'd just _ said- _

Starting to feel pangs of panic, Klug squirmed out of his boyfriend’s lap, spinning to face the stone-still half-soul. "Tch! S-Sig? _ Please_, t-talk to me."

Slowly, the entomophile placed a hand on each of his beau’s shoulders. He raised his head, staring into the other's brilliant green eyes, an oddly determined expression carved into his features. If not for the obvious spreading blush, he'd almost be intimidating. "Klug… 's too soon."

"W-w-what're yo-"

"Want to try, someday, but," he mumbled, his bowed head hiding most of his increasingly flushed cheeks, "not ready yet."

"R-ready? Wha-" The academic's mouth snapped shut with the sudden wide-eyed realization. His throat seized, rendering him momentarily mute.

"'S too fast. Wanna know you more, first." Sig's head tilted sympathetically, hair-tenne swaying with the action. _ Poor Klug, _he thought, but he'd made his decision and his sweetheart had to accept it.

Finding his voice at last, Klug frantically tried to correct the misunderstanding and babbled, "t-t-that's_ not what it means! _ Or what _ I _ meant! I-it's an idiom! I meant that I was happy you accepted me, even with... with my flaws. _ S-stars, _ I wasn't suggesting... that you... I... _ now?! Here?!" _

"Oh. Idiom. 'Kay." The half-demon stared at his partner for some time with the too-large nightshirt hanging off of his shoulder, unsure of what else to say. “Oops…”

Klug just sat there, stiff as a board and cherry-red. Not the most _ elegant _ way to get that particular question answered, but it _ was _ answered now. Shakily, he took the utterly silent demi-demon’s hand in his, an apologetic smile on his face. Quietly, he started to murmur, “I… I actually w-wanted to ask if… if you’d consider that _ eventually_. I… I guess I have an answer now, huh?”

“... Wanted t' ask earlier?” Sig finally responded, feeling a little awkward over the misunderstanding. Still, grasping the wrong meaning was preferable to being pressured into something, especially since he'd _ just _ stated his desire to take things slow.

Guiltily, the mage fumbled with the clawed fingers in his hands, muttering to himself, "w-well, just _ mentioning _th-that sort of thing isn't easy to me. Anything more… I’m… it's hard to.”

"Klug, _ Bunny_, wouldn't have been mad or-”

“I _ know,” _ he whined miserably, kneading Sig's open palm gently with his thumbs, “it's just… some words are… they’re hard to say, or to even _ hear_, I just can't help it. They sound so _ vulgar_. I know, it's idiotic."

“Not stupid, Klug. It's okay. Kinda like… mhm.” More carefully this time, he dragged his sulky companion to his side, still allowing Klug to toy with his claws since it seemed to help.

“Tch! I-it's not the same as your aversion to saying ‘I' or ‘me', Sig! That's tota-”

“It's okay,” the bug catcher interrupted, staring intently at his sweetheart, “not a big deal to work around."

The mage still disagreed, but the offered consideration was hard to refuse. Cuddling sideways against his loved one’s chest, he nodded slowly, whispering, “thank you…”

“... Aren't used to talking about it, are you?” Softly, he nudged into the scholar's neck, nuzzling just below his companion's ear. "Like, um, _ relationship _ stuff.”

A long, drawn out exhalation Klug tilted his head and let his eyes close. “Y-yeah, it's pretty obvious, huh? It... seems to come to you more easily.”

“Mmh, mom had to, kinda early. Real hard t' convince a kid a break-up's not their fault without explaining some basics. Since then, just sorta used to talking about stuff with her. It's… good. Works out." The soft smile went unnoticed by the bug catcher's companion, but that was okay. It was enough just to be heard.

That… that was the first the scholar had heard about the topic, under the impression that the household had always been a single-parent affair. He was tempted to pry, just a little, but doing so might spoil the peaceful moment. If Sig was comfortable enough to _ mention _ that detail, even in passing, the odds were good that it would come up at some later date. So, he let it go with a murmured commiseration. "I… I suppose it _ would _ be difficult. At least it resulted in something positive."

Sig had gone back to nuzzling the mage, inhaling the mellow soapy scent of his friend's skin. Distracted, he simply mumbled back, "uh huh…"

The usual tension in Klug's frame eased while his sweetheart’s right arm remained draped over his body like a cloak. “You don't mind? T-that I'm not used to, w-well, _ this. _ I do have to admit, Sig, I’m incredibly curious. I’ve never… _ been _ this close to someone like this, you know?”

“Haven’t, either,” the partial demon calmly replied, watching his lapin-esque boyfriend draw circles on the textured skin of his palm, “hadn’t thought about it much.”

Klug… stopped, a terrible thought creeping into the corners of his mind. Cringing a little, he creaked, “y-you… you do have _ some _ idea of h-how it, ah, _ works, _ right? W-with guys?”

“Mhm? Kinda. Grew up 'round lots of animals, so...” It didn't seem necessary to bring up a pair of rabbits he'd had as a child, far more interested in each other than any of the does. He'd been told that just happened, sometimes. Better that than infighting.

Perplexed, Klug blinked. What was _ that _ supposed to mean..? _ Never mind, _ he shoved the thought aside, squeezing the warm hand still trapped securely in his mitts. It was comforting that Sig had at least a vague idea, meaning there was less to _ explain_. In truth… his own knowledge was only passing, at best. He sighed softly, “good. Hey, ah, thanks for being, well, _ you. _ I… I’m probably more than a _ little _ frustrating to talk to about these things…”

Chuckling just a little, Sig beamed, a hint of smugness in his features as he replied, “nah, you’re fine. Wanna be a good boyfriend, too, Bunny.”

“Yeah, you already are.” Klug couldn't help smiling as he cuddled. Even if he was frustrated with himself, Sig still loved him.

_ Maybe, _ the scholar mused, _ I shouldn't be as hard on myself, either. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised a bit. <3


	19. Termites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They'll just nibble away...

Sig didn't mind waiting for the over-wound mage to decompress, his right arm over Klug's body while he reclined on the plushy sofa, quiet breaths ruffling his bookworm's hair. _ Always smells so nice, _a subdued chuckle sounded in his chest, not wishing to disturb his guest.

Though… he didn't get to ask _ his _ questions, the ones that had been nibbling at the corners of his mind like hungry termites. Left alone, they’d eat away at him just as they would a rotting tree stump.

He _ really _ didn't want to be a rotting tree stump.

“Hey, Bookworm? Doing better?”

“Hrm..? Y-yeah,” Klug murmured, significantly mellower since he’d been earlier, “you’re alright? I’m… I'm sorry, I know you’re still…” _Recovering? Weak?_ _Stars, you didn't _**_forget_**_, did you? Selfish…_

Maybe the somnolist felt a little peckish, but it wasn't his priority, not right now. Answers would satisfy him much more than food… though, that wasn't a bad idea, either. _ No, questions first, _he decided.

“Bunny, mnn, _ wondering,” _ Sig’s voice exuded a sense of calm, masking the unease he felt beneath the surface, “other people knowing… about _ us. _ How do you feel?”

“Huh? L-like, that we’re together, you mean?”

Nodding in the affirmative, the bug catcher's eyelids drooped as he imagined having to keep his affection a secret from almost everyone. “Yeah. Figured Ami was fine, but others? Parents always sounded kinda weird about… stuff…”

Klug… actually hadn't given that much thought yet. Their friends, sure. Raffina would probably have a field day teasing him about it, but everyone else would probably either be happy for him or just not _ care. _ He didn't see Arle or Taru being particularly concerned about his love life one way or another.

His parents, on the other hand, were… trickier. True, he'd been actively discouraged from dating out of concern for his classwork. If he wanted to get into a truly prestigious place of higher learning after leaving Primp then solid grades were _ essential. _ As long as he maintained them, surely no one could object _ too _ strongly to his budding relationship with Sig. Besides, wasn't he more likely to succeed in his work if he was happy, if he had support? Surely his parents would understand that, and besides, they’d married each other for _ some _ reason. Maybe they weren't obviously affectionate, but there had to be _ something _ there.

“I think it's fine, Cuddlebug,” he smiled, nestled comfortably with his loved one, hugging the sandy crimson hand to his chest, “I'm not embarrassed by you or anything. Um, u-unless you didn't want to be seen with me? That’s not what you meant, right?”

_ So relieved. _ Ruffling the mage's hair as he nuzzled, he giggled a little at the thought that _ he'd _ feel odd being seen with Klug. “Nah. Think it's normal for a bug catcher to be with a bookworm, don't you?..”

Snickering softly, Klug _ grinned. _ “I _ suppose _ that’s true. Your, ah, mom? Do you think she’ll be alright with, well, _ us_?”

“Mhmm, not worried. Wants me to be safe, be happy… feel that way around you, Klug.” 

_ Safe? _ While he felt safe around the warm-hearted demi-demon, the idea that he made _ Sig _ feel safe was almost comical. Maybe Sig meant it in the ‘non-threatening’ sense? _ It’s not important, _ he decided, _ at least he’s happy. _ “So, anything else on your mind? I don't mind, you know, talking.”

“Yeah… ah, B-Bunny, your shoulder… um… did… did it bruise? S-sorry if it did. Didn't mean to.” It bothered him that he might've hurt his sweet mage, especially since he didn't recall everything about the bite clearly. Had Aya told Klug what it… it meant?

There wasn't much point in hiding it; sighing, Klug unbuttoned his shirt enough to slide the arm down, baring his shoulder to the world. It wasn't _ bad_, not a mess of angry red and purple punctuated by teeth marks, but the muted lilac and pink still stood out like a sore thumb. Looking askance, the mage defensively mumbled, “i-it doesn't hurt, if that's worrying you. It looks worse than it feels.”

“B-Bunny, still…”

“It's _ fine._ I, ah, I k-know why you-”

“Mhm, asked Aya, too,” Sig breathed, just wanting to hold the wiry mage for a moment, “kinda got curious.”

“A-Ayashii didn't tell you about the power surges..?” Surprising, that if Sig knew about the bite…

Shaking his head, the entomophile offered, “maybe Aya thought you'd do better?”

Given how much it seemed to loathe the idea of the pairing, Aya _ hadn't _ taken a prime opportunity to hurt Sig in his absence. It could’ve done so under the guise of truthfulness, shielding itself from any attempt at Klug to be angry with it. It could've, but it didn't. Maybe, just _ maybe _ its concern over the half-soul it had once hissed and screeched at was… was real. _ Genuine. _

Maybe the trust that Aya had shattered to pieces so long ago could finally start to mend.

Maybe.


	20. Omissions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't a lie, technically speaking.

This opportunity… it was more than Ayashii could have hoped for. Since it’s ill-fated attempt to seize its rightful vessel and become _ whole _ again, they’d been stuck here in the Record of Sealing. It hadn’t been _ all _ bad, of course. The mousey little mage had tried to make its so-called life less of a hell, but there was only so much that he could do.

The irritable crimson spirit couldn’t _ sleep, _ for one thing. Remaining dormant inside of the tome wasn’t quite the same and couldn’t silence its thoughts. For so long, _ too _ long, it hadn’t known peace. Dreams or simple unconsciousness were a luxury their current form simply couldn’t experience.

Frankly, that it was capable of anything more than frustrated shrieking at this point in its existence was a minor miracle, but not enough to make it ‘happy’. It experienced a twisted sense of satisfaction in antagonizing the kiddo, yes. Watching Klug impotently stammer over this or that usually amused the demon’s soul more than a little. Genuine happiness, though… it couldn’t remember feeling simple pleasure without it being at someone else’s expense.

If it played its cards right, if it could just gain control of their one-time host’s body again, they’d… _ they’d... _

_ ...What, _ exactly?

The obvious answer was to subjugate its missing half and regain _ some _ kind of physical presence. There were caveats, but that body was capable of sustaining them… _ probably. _The cyan-haired nitwit had managed to contain part of a demon’s soul up until this point with minimal ill effects. Maybe that was the cause of the kiddo’s seemingly constant fatigue. A minor complaint, at best.

However... it wouldn’t be the same as its ‘original’ form. The hazy impression of its former self, a proud and noble demon whose power demanded fear and respect… Aya could never regain that. It would have to make do with a hybrid shell, more human than anything else. Limited. _ Weak, _in comparison.

But… it’d have _ freedom, _ unbeholden to anyone. To move as it pleased, do as it wished and, _ finally, _ be able to rest and quiet its constant thoughts for once in several millennia… the lure was just too tempting. Maybe it could even _ dream. _

All they had to do was betray a human whose only crime was trusting it and subsume a gentle soul, both of whom had made the mistake of showing it kindness. That sort of weakness… it would practically be a crime _ not _ to exploit something like that, right?

Klug, of course, would be devastated. Losing a friend would hurt his one-time host enough, but the idiot just _ had _ to get even _ more _ attached to the brainless bug-obsessed weirdo, didn’t he? As much as it loved to get under the insecure yet outwardly smug-faced brat’s skin, the idea of actually _ hurting _ him didn’t exactly fill the vindictive little entity with glee. Being betrayed once had left a deep wound in the mage’s psyche and a similarly deep rift between the two of them.

What was Aya _ supposed _ to do, though? Ignore the chance to be whole again? It wasn’t as though reuniting with its missing half would _ kill _ the half-asleep cabbage, just… _ change _ him. 

Sig wouldn’t be _ gone_, not entirely. The soul doubted that the kiddo’s will was strong enough to contest theirs, so Ayashii’s would be the dominant personality, but some elements of the boy would remain. With a shudder, the crimson soul wondered just _ what _ might persist, if it would be limited to temperament or if feelings would be included among them. The possibility of being attracted to its mousey former host, _ ugh, _if it had a mouth it would’ve left a sour taste inside.

Despite its intentions, technically speaking, Aya would still be keeping their promise. It could tame the surges of power easier from the inside-out… in theory.

In truth, it couldn’t remember whether it had experienced transitions while it was whole or not. It didn’t know. It knew _ about _ them, at least, which made the spectre the expert by default.

Ayashii didn’t _ lie. _It just… omitted details, sometimes.


	21. Scuttlebug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vi is an adorable ladybug. She is a good girl and the best girl.

“... If you can keep her from flying about, I’m not _ opposed _ to you sitting at the table instead. Isn’t the floor uncomfortable?” Still busily chopping vegetables on his own, Klug sighed and occasionally glanced toward his cyan-haired companion who casually sat betwixt living room and kitchen, back pressed against the hard wooden doorframe. It didn’t _ seem _ a very hospitable place to rest, but the mage _ was _ much more comfort-oriented.

“Nmm-mm,” Sig slowly drawled, his attention currently focused on the giant ladybug that made her way over his bruteish clawed fingers, her little legs bridging the small gaps between them. Just watching the unconcerned insect leisurely scuttle made the partial demon feel at peace and forget the uncertainty weighing on his shoulders. It didn’t _ fix _ his problems, but a break was what he wanted right now. “No bugs in the kitchen. Don’t mind sitting here.”

“I’m _ capable _ of making exceptions, Sig, and she usually behaves-”

“Nah,” he cut the academic off, tilting his hand as Vi scuttled along his little finger, “‘s a good rule. Keeps ‘em safer. Tried cooking with butterflies in the way? _ Real _ stressful…”

Though he’d never experienced such a thing, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the innumerable ways that such a delicate creature could cause itself harm by lingering near a sink or stove. Sighing again, the celestial mage slid the vegetables into a pot of boiling water, as he mumbled, “I haven’t, no. Still, she’s not a butterfly and there’s so much space between here and there,” he motioned toward the vacant table before moving to fetch more ingredients from the fridge, “it’s not a problem, really!”

“Floor’s fine, Bunny. Works out… can talk t’ you and still handle Vi. Real surprised you brought her.” 

Klug’s skin crawled as he remembered what the beetle’s hook-like feet felt like on his hand, her tiny antennae wriggling as she stubbornly investigated him rather than enter her carrier like a good bug… but she didn’t always obey her keeper’s wishes, either. Sig never seemed to mind, shrugging off the critter’s willful nature. At least she couldn’t resist the temptation of food for _ too _ long, crawling into the container before the celestial mage had a panic attack. Seeing his sweetheart’s mismatched eyes light up upon seeing the insect made the discomfort worthwhile. “W-well, I thought a familiar exoskeletal face might help you feel better. It’s not a big deal.”

_ “Is. _ You don’t like handling ‘em.” The distinction was important. Though the bug catcher’s new boyfriend could touch, say, a beetle’s smooth shell or a fuzzy caterpillar, the scholar rarely wanted to _ hold _ them. Klug had tolerated holding Vi before, _ briefly, _but only with the understanding that Sig would take her back at a moment’s notice. The bespectacled nerd was less fearful of the insect since she was familiar. She couldn’t sting or bite, and her calm nature made her less intimidating. Not being scared didn't mean he'd liked it, though.

"If I'd simply fed her and _ left, _ you still wouldn't be positive that she was _ fine. _ What if she'd been sick or something? Ah, _ can _ ladybugs come down with illnesses?" Probably, but the mage felt mildly curious now as he threw himself into chopping vegetables. He might have been able to differentiate between a living bug from a dead one, but he wouldn't be _ entirely _ certain unless it moved.

"Mmhm. Get parasites sometimes, too," Sig droned gently, admiring Vi's smooth and vibrantly-colored shell. The bug lover didn't consider how his surprisingly detailed explanation of various parasitic mites or fungus might impair his companion's ability to cook… but, Klug had _ asked. _

Though the thought of an insect being infested with nigh-invisible mites made his stomach lurch, it was comforting that they'd have no interest in the warm-blooded. But, if they couldn't be _ seen… _ "So, ah, how could you _ tell? _Just… just out of curiosity."

"Girls can't have babies anymore. Less eggs, less of 'em hatch. 'Least it's not fatal, but big ladybugs like Vi are kinda hard t' find. Pretty sure she's okay."

"... Ah? Well, that's good to hear. She's had some 'babies', then..?"

Sig made a sound of mellow contentment and smiled as her short antenne brushed one finger. He kept absolutely still, letting his pet investigate to her tiny heart's content. "Nah. 'S why. Spread during mating, usually. Hasn't, so, shouldn't have 'em. Vi had lots of siblings, too."

The pace of the scholar's chopping slowed dramatically before coming to an utter halt. He didn't really _ want _ to, but his studious nature demanded that he ask, "s-so bugs can get..? That's… well, I'd never… huh. Horrible, but… interesting..?"

"'S just how it is. Life's hard, sometimes. Plants, bugs, people… doesn't matter." Though his shrug went unseen by the stunned and understandably squeamish mage, his wording made it implicit.

"Ah, one thing, though, Sig…"

"Hrm..?"

"Can we, ah, _ not _ discuss parasites close to dinner in future?"

"You asked, though."


	22. Uncomplicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klug's just being Klug again.

An uneventful dinner passed without further vivid descriptions of various insect-borne infections or parasites, something that Klug was secretly grateful for. True, it had been by his own hand that the Pandora's Box of bizarre insect factoids had been opened, so he only had himself to blame… but the way Sig's eyes glittered while recounting this or that  _ almost  _ made up for learning more about behavior-altering fungi than one ought to know.

Content and with a full stomach, the half-soul's energy had rapidly waned, still recovering from last night's 'incident'. It didn't take much convincing to get him settled in for the night. In the usual fashion, the two classmates shared the same bed.

Though… for Klug, at least, this time felt different from the other times the two had shared the space. Nothing had changed in a material sense. Silly, perhaps, to feel anxious over something that the academic had done so many times before, but Klug was  _ still Klug. _

"... Feel y' shaking, Klug."

Curled up on his own side of the bed, the studious one tried to stifle a high-pitched squeak of surprise, stiffening as he was addressed. He… he didn't  _ want _ to bother Sig, knowing how tired his companion was. "N-nothing! I… it's not important! Just… you're tired, a-and this is  _ new,  _ that's all. I could r-relocate, let you rest undisturbed. The sofa's fin-"

"Huh..? Done this lots of times, though."

_Not like _**_this,_** the awkward academic inwardly shrieked, fearful that any misstep on his part would damage their fledgling relationsh-... _wait. _He was doing that _now, _wasn't he? Groaning with the uncomfortable realization, Klug wanted nothing more than to curl up and hide alone in some dark corner so as not to sabotage himself any further.

… On second thought, that would  _ also _ make matters worse. Maybe… maybe he just wasn't  _ capable  _ of being anyone's boyfriend. The temptation to give up before two whole  _ days  _ had elapsed certainly didn't bode well.  _ Why did you even  _ ** _think _ ** _ this would work ou- _

With only the rustling of fabric as a warning, the self-flagellating scholar found himself helplessly drawn into a warm, familiar embrace. In his opinion, he'd done nothing to  _ earn  _ the freely given affection but couldn't deny that it was as comforting as it was confounding. The slight pressure from the rise and fall of the bug catcher's chest, pushing into his back with every untroubled breath… it  _ helped,  _ providing a contrast to meter the runaway thoughts streaking within his skull.

"I,  _ hmmh," _ making a noise between a sigh and a whine, the mage fumbled for a way to explain that this was just him being, well,  _ himself. _ "I know, this isn't any, ah,  _ different.  _ It just… I'm not sure how I should act being, w-well, more than a  _ friend. _ This is something I don't want to screw up."

It didn't help that Sig started to laugh, a subdued, snuffly sound in his ears. What could  _ possibly  _ be funny about this?!

"Mmh, don't have t' act different, 're a boy _ friend.  _ 'S almost the same thing… just more snuggling." Beneath the soft chuckling, there was no hint of annoyance or frustration. The entomophile wasn't laughing  _ at _ his companion, rather at the nervous mage's talent at overcomplicating what sometimes seemed so obvious, at least to Sig.

Klug didn't answer, not immediately. Was it  _ really _ so simple, yet he'd tied himself in knots? Cheeks flushed out of frustration, desperation crept into his voice when he finally broke his silence. “You're certain you don't mind? Being with someone so, well,  _ awkward, _ I mean. I'm not sure of what I'm  _ doing,  _ you know..?"

"Not alone, Bunny. 'Ll figure stuff out together. 'S okay." Nudging his companion's neck, the half-soul dozily rumbled, "hey, umm... wanna know a secret..?”

“A… secret? I… alright. Sure.” Maybe, just  _ maybe,  _ it’d be enough to take the academic out of himself, distracting enough to help him relax.

Conspiratorially, Sig’s lips barely brushed the mage's ear as he whispered, “really,  _ really _ cute when you're nervous. Cuter when you're happy, though.”

_ Ah..!  _ Reassuring, yes, but somehow… somehow that  _ didn't  _ make falling asleep any easier. Flustered for entirely different reasons, the red-faced bookworm brokenly chattered, rattling off a series of 'um's and 'r-eally's before realizing that his companion had long since dropped off.


End file.
